Fate and Destiny
by Gengarde
Summary: The strings of Fate are stronger than most give them credit for. The halfa they are entwined with may be unaware of what is planned for him, but his Destiny will be ignored no longer. It will take strength and wisdom to make it through, but the reward is well worth it. Includes FatherDanny/DaughterDani.
1. Chapter 1

How had it come to this?

Danny swore violently as he snapped into a 90 degree turn to avoid the blast that would've taken his head off. Furious shouts from below him were closer than he would have liked, and he pushed himself a little faster. Each shot was getting more on target and it would only be a matter of time before Danny was struck unless he could shake his pursuers.

After all, it wasn't like he could hurt his parents.

...

Things had been rough lately. More ghosts had been appearing than ever before, and Danny was hard-pressed to stem the tide. It meant more absences from school, more arriving home after curfew and more hours spent awake at night fighting ghost after ghost until even floating was too much effort and he had to drag himself home. His wounds were more numerous too, and seemed to take longer to heal than they had two years ago. Danny's exhaustion was taking its toll on his relationships too. Not only were his parents angry and disappointed by his lacklustre grades and apparent disregard for his curfew, but his temper was shorter around them. He disappointed them, and it stung bitterly until the ache became too much and he snapped at them.

Not even his friends and sister were exempt from the tension that was springing up. Danny knew they cared, but it was like they didn't even appreciate the stress he endured every day. Jazz had been dropping heavier and heavier hints about breaking his secret to his parents when she wasn't trying to analyse his aggressive refusal to do so. Tucker's jealousy had returned with a vengeance as Danny's powers grew, and the halfa could see the dark, envious glares every time he went ghost. Danny didn't have the energy to explain to Tucker that being half ghost was nothing to desire. The cold ache behind his ribs that was his core seemed to bleed into his emotions more and more as his weariness dragged all the joy and happiness out of his life.

And Sam…

Danny had liked Sam. Maybe even loved her, if he was being honest with himself. But he'd slowly realised that what Sam Manson liked about _him_ was not his looks or his personality, but the fact that he was "different". Almost unique. Once, when he was so tired he had begun to silently cry as he floated back down to meet his friends, Danny had quietly expressed his desire to be human again. The utter vehemence she had responded with had been an eye-opener, to say the least.

"Why would you ever want to be normal, Danny? You're the luckiest kid alive!", Tucker's quiet "almost alive" was ignored, "You can do so much more than the rest of us! You're _special_ , Danny."

"Lucky? Special? There's nothing lucky or special about this Sam! It's fucking painful and exhausting! Just because you can't stand the thought of liking the same things as regular people doesn't mean you can act like this is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" His anger had surprised all three of them, Sam's mouth opening in a tiny "oh" of surprise while Tucker dropped his newest PDA. Danny had fled, too hurt and embarrassed to apologise. It had taken a week for things to return to an uneasy friendship for them all.

If he'd had time to think, Danny would've pegged that moment as the catalyst for his entire predicament. Unfortunately for him, Time was unable to be on his side until it was drastically too late.

...

More shots flew through the sky around Danny as he used every single trick he knew to dodge the deadly blasts. It seemed almost impossible for him to shake his parents and not for the first time in his half-life did he curse Jack's ridiculous driving and Maddie's near impeccable aim.

"Would it be too much to ask for a cease-fire so we can talk?" He shouted desperately down at the Fenton RV where it had swerved dangerously around a corner to keep on his spectral tail. His only reply was another blast that came close to singing his face. Danny swore again and in a fit of panic, phased straight through three houses to break the line of sight. By the angry calls he could hear, the manoeuvre had been successful. Allowing himself only a moment of triumphant reprieve, Danny continued his frantic pace onward. He had just begun to consider where exactly he would be able to run to when a bolt of pink ectoplasm slammed into his side and sent him careening into the street below. The impact knocked the wind out of him and a familiar sharp pain told Danny that at least one rib was broken.

"Going somewhere, little badger?" A familiar smug tone made Danny groan.

"I really don't have time for this today, Plasmius! I'm trying to keep hold of the other half of my life right now, so go back home to your cat!" The jab was half-hearted, Danny too busy rolling onto his feet to spring back into the air. Whatever comeback Plasmius had was lost as the teenager sped past with urgency. He didn't get far until another bolt of ectoplasm struck him in the back.

"If you don't pay attention to me then I'll be the one finishing you off!" Plasmius snarled.

"Vlad, please! I need to go!" Danny's voice was frantic enough to give Plasmius pause. He didn't have time to question Danny before his mechanical ally slammed into Danny with full force, sending him flying with a yelp.

"Not so fast, whelp!" Skulker said, a menacing grin on his face. It wavered slightly when Danny turned to them, clear terror in his eyes.

"Will you both just cut me some slack for one day? I'm trying not to get killed by my-!" Whatever Danny had planned to say was cut off as a blast of ectoplasm tore through his middle. The force of it snapped his body forwards, splitting his tail into two limp legs again. Time almost seemed to slow as Danny's eyes widened comically in surprise. He coughed, thick green ectoplasm spilling from his mouth as he lowered his head to gaze horrified at the smouldering hole in his abdomen.

"Got you, you filthy ghost!" Maddie's triumphant voice screamed from below.

"Agh." It was more of an exhalation than an exclamation but the pain in Danny's voice was so thick that both of the ghosts in the air with him flinched.

"Daniel, no!" Plasmius said, reaching out helplessly as Danny began to sink toward the ground. Just before all hell could break loose, something seemed to snap in the air itself.

"Time out." Danny's limp form froze in mid-air, his expression locked in resigned horror. A ripple of confusion spread to the onlookers until a cloaked ghost appeared to gently cradle the halfa's body. Skulker recoiled in shock.

"Clockwork?!" Plasmius glanced sharply at his ally before turning back to glare at this newcomer who seemed to be more acquainted with Danny than he would have preferred.

"And just who are you?" He asked snidely, attention split to keep an eye on the still hunters below.

"I'm sorry, Danny. But the future calls, and I cannot keep you from it any longer. This was the kindest path, I promise." Clockwork soothed Danny as he lay locked in the embrace of frozen time. As Plasmius approached him, Clockwork glanced up with a neutral expression.

"Know this, Plasmius. Skulker," He declared, his voice deep with the weight of his prophecy, "Destiny and Fate have waited long for the ushering in of a joyous new age. With the coming of that age will come sacrifice and suffering. But the one who will lead it forth is kind of heart and has faced trials enough to prove their worth. Though they may seem weak, you would be wise to know of their core of steel for they will know to use it when necessary. Soon, the Ghost Zone as we know it will be no more. Long may the true King reign!" With that, Clockwork opened a portal and stepped inside, cradling his burden gently as he did. Plasmius shot forth with an indignant yell but was too late to reach the portal before it snapped shut again.

That seemed to be the catalyst for Maddie and Jack as they immediately began to shoot at the halfa and Skulker above them. With a frustrated shout, Plasmius grabbed Skulker's arm and teleported them safely away from the hunters' range. He didn't bother waiting for his ally before shooting off towards the Fenton house, where the closest secure ghost portal was.

"Skulker, you knew that ghost, yes? Take me to him, I need to ensure Daniel's survival." Plasmius called back to Skulker, angling himself down to phase through the Ops Centre above the building.

"Plasmius, wait! It's impossible to reach him now, the whelp is as good as gone." Skulker's nervous tone didn't seem to sink in as the halfa turned on Skulker with a growl.

"I will _not_ just leave Daniel to die in the clutches of some unknown ghost, Skulker! He may be an irritating little thorn in my side, but unfortunately for us all he is also the only other one of my kind in existence and I will not see him slaughtered!" Plasmius said in a low hiss. Skulker flinched, but to his credit he did not stand down.

"You may be powerful, Plasmius, but you do not know everything about the Ghost Zone and its history. The ghost that took the whelp was Clockwork, the Master of All Time. He is infinitely more powerful than any other ghost out there. You wouldn't stand a chance." Skulker said, already resigned to the fact that Plasmius wouldn't give a damn about his chances. True enough, the halfa was already shaking his head in denial.

"Don't be ridiculous, Skulker. I haven't met a ghost yet that I couldn't defeat, whether by wits or strength!" Skulker wisely decided to remain silent about his employer's near-drastic failure to defeat Pariah Dark by himself and instead heaved a weary sigh.

"Even if you could defeat him, it's impossible to reach him. Clockwork's lair exists outside of time. Only those he allows entry to can make it to his tower."

There was a moment of silence between the two as this fact sank in. Then Plasmius let out a wordless cry of rage, swinging around to fire a ball of ectoplasm at a nearby tree. Skulker watched silently as Plasmius vented his rage before slumping dejectedly in the air.

"So there's no way of getting Daniel back, is that what you're saying?" He murmured, swiping one hand over his face. He felt so weary all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry, Plasmius. I don't know why Clockwork would take such a sudden interest in the ghost child, but considering his prophecy I'm guessing it isn't something good," Skulker paused at Plasmius' questioning glance.

"Perhaps Phantom was the first sacrifice of this new age."

...

She'd turned the sound off, but Jazz couldn't turn her eyes away from the news footage that kept replaying the same awful moment over and over again. The way Danny's body was forced forwards by the blow that blasted through his guts. The horror in his face. The way it slid into bleak acceptance before the nightmare started anew. She would be seeing it in her dreams for a long time to come.

Jazz didn't even hear the door open at first. Only the sounds of her parents talking and laughing broke her from her shell-shocked state. Haunted eyes turned to watch as the pair barrelled into the living room.

"I just wish we'd managed to get the remains, Jack. Think about what we could have done with them! So many experiments I had planned out…" Maddie sighed wistfully.

"At least we took him out, Mads! One less ghostly menace for the world!" Jack said with a smile. It faded as he saw the expression on Jazz's face.

"What's wrong, Jazzerincess? Did you get attacked by a ghost?" Both Jack and Maddie sprang into action, multiple guns springing from their jumpsuits as they searched for the non-existent ghoul. Jazz choked at the sight of the gleaming barrels, tears finally spilling from her eyes.

"Oh God. You killed him. You killed Danny." With a sob, Jazz clapped her hands over her mouth as she tried to hold back her anguish. Her parents looked at each other surprised for a moment until Maddie let out a gentle laugh and went to comfort her daughter.

"Oh sweetheart, that wasn't Danny. That was Phantom _pretending_ to be Danny. We would never hurt your brother! Where is he, anyway?" Maddie's comforting expression morphed into a look of mild confusion. Jazz slapped her hands away and backed up into the corner. Jack and Maddie stared at her in surprise.

"Are you telling me he showed you the truth and you still shot him?" Her voice was a deadly whisper. Jack gave an uneasy laugh.

"It wasn't Danny, Jazz. We would've known! No ectoplasmic filth can pull the wool over our eyes!" He said, brightening up a little as he convinced himself of his truth. Jazz looked torn between horror and rage.

"Are you stupid, or are you just blind? Danny _is_ Phantom! He's half ghost! Your stupid portal electrocuted him and merged ectoplasm with his DNA! And now, on top of killing him halfway, you finished the job!" Jazz rose to a scream, stamping forwards towards her parents furiously. They retreated back, bewildered and more than a little concerned.

"Sweetie, that's… that's impossible! Ectoplasm and DNA wouldn't be able to mix like that, it wouldn't be able to merge without a tremendous amount of… power…" Maddie trailed off slightly.

"Murderers." Jazz hissed as she stormed past them to the door. Neither Jack nor Maddie could utter a word before the door slammed behind their distraught daughter. In the silence that followed, the couple glanced at each uneasily.

Behind them, the television showed Danny being shot again.

...

"What do we do, Tucker?! He's out there, bleeding to death and it's all our fault!" Blank eyes watched Sam as she paced her room. Her face was streaked with black as her mascara ran but she didn't seem to notice.

"I… I never thought they'd actually… do it, y'know?" Tucker whispered. His mind kept replaying that horrible moment. They hadn't even been near to help, not that it would've mattered.

"Oh God, what if he's actually dead, Tucker? It went right through him, you saw it, right?" Sam dug her fingers in her hair and pulled as though the pain could stop her from seeing the grievous wound again. Tucker gagged and snatched up the trash can next to him, but nothing came up. After a moment of gasping for breath, he glanced up to Sam.

"He got caught by Clockwork, right? Maybe… Maybe he came to save Danny? He's bailed him out in the past." Sam froze, then span around to face Tucker with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"You're right! We just gotta get to his tower and make sure Danny is okay! Then we can get Clockwork to turn back time and undo everything!" She let out a slightly hysterical giggle. Tucker smiled wanly. He wasn't so sure it would be that easy to undo their traitorous mistake.

Why had they ever thought that revealing Danny's secret would work out?

...

The sun had set an hour ago, but Valerie felt no inclination to move from her position on the rooftop. Her feet dangled over the edge and for a brief moment she thought about what would happen if she fell off. Would she die? Or would her suit turn her into the same unnatural creature as Danny? She shook her head angrily. That was unfair. Danny wasn't unnatural.

Valerie sighed. Well, Danny _Fenton_ hadn't been unnatural until this morning when his secret was revealed for the world to see. The look of shock on his face as Sam and Tucker had told the news exactly who the town hero was had been funny for the briefest moment before all hell broke loose and every ghost hunter in the town had gone after him. Excepting herself, of course. The news had been a shock to the system. She'd slumped down behind the counter at the Nasty Burger when she'd heard, unable to combine the irritatingly smug Phantom to the endearingly kind Fenton. The manager had had to send her home when she started to hyperventilate. By that point, it was all over. The Fentons, Danny's own parents, had dealt the blow that had eradicated Phantom for good.

It should have felt like a triumph, but Valerie just felt numb. She'd spent the rest of the day on the roof, mentally going over every interaction she'd had with both sides of Danny's persona. It hadn't gotten her anywhere though.

The faint prickle on the edge of her consciousness that was the suit's way of alerting her to a ghost attack barely made her flinch. How many times had she sprang into action after feeling it, hoping that this would be the time she took down Phantom? She shuddered at the mental image of Danny lying broken on the ground, first as a ghost and then as his human self. It had been bad enough watching the news and seeing the footage of his death earlier that day. When she'd seen it, Valerie had felt revulsion at how easily Danny's body had given way under the blast. She could've done that to him. She'd tried to do that to him.

"B-Beware?" A quiet voice broke Valerie from her musings and she snapped her head up in shock. The Box Ghost – the easiest ghost to remember because he always seemed to be around – hovered before her, hat clasped in his hands and a sorrowful expression on his face.

"What do you want, spook?" Valerie's voice was rough, and had to clear her throat after speaking. The ghost looked down for a moment, seeming to search for the right words before he spoke.

"Is… Is it true? Is the ghost child… dead?" The Box Ghost's voice sounded as small as Valerie felt in that moment. She blinked as her vision began to blur.

"Yeah." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the ghost before her flinched as if she'd struck him. She was surprised to see the grief in his face.

"I-I never thought that… I mean, I know that he could never best me! But…", The Box Ghost let out a shuddering laugh that made Valerie's skin prickle, "I never even thought that he could be killed so easily. None of us did." There was a pause as both ghost and hunter struggled to compose themselves.

"He was well-liked by the ghosts then? It never seemed like it." Valerie asked, almost conversationally. The Box Ghost laughed again, a mournful sound.

"He was kinder to us than we thought, I think. He didn't just protect the town from us," He looked at Valerie with meaning, "he protected us from hunters too. He could have torn us apart with ease, but he never did. He will be missed."

"Yeah. Yeah, here too." Valerie said, the lump in her throat growing thicker. The Box Ghost gently floated to sit on the roof beside her. The silence was only disturbed by Valerie's swallowing and a soft sigh from the ghost next to her.

"Would you like to hear about the first time I met the Phantom?" He asked quietly. Valerie nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

The pair sat almost companionably as the ghost spoke in a low tone so unlike his usual exuberance. It was dawn before they parted, and though the weight of loss had not left Valerie's shoulders, she felt the relief of knowing more about Danny. Waving goodbye to the ghost that had been her common enemy, she activated her suit and flew for home.

...

Lives are shattered in more ways than one, and those left behind must pick up the pieces and try to rebuild a sense of normalcy. But despite the grief and anger, the pain and loss, time moves on. And as the saying goes…

Time heals all wounds.


	2. Chapter 2

Agony. Hot, twisting, open-your-mouth-to-scream-but-nothing-comes-out agony. Danny had never felt anything like it before. He couldn't see, he couldn't hear. The pain was the only thing in his world. And it wouldn't stop. It felt like an eternity had passed before he heard a soft voice apologising over and over again. From there, his other senses began to kick in. He could smell the sharp tang of ectoplasm mixed with a familiar scent that was both fresh and mildewed at the same time. It wrapped around him like a comforting embrace. Through the haze of pain, a single word floated to the forefront of his mind.

Clockwork.

The wrenching torment began to subside and if he'd been conscious enough, Danny would have wept with relief. More sounds and feelings began to creep in. The endless tick-tock of clocks, the low babble of noise from the mirror gears Clockwork watched the world from. Ectoplasm washing against his bare chest – and how had that happened? He was sure he'd been in his HAZMAT suit when he'd been –

Danny's back arched as he let out a silent scream of horror. They'd _shot_ him. His parents had actually shot him. They had known who and what he was and still! It took a moment for him to realise that someone was very firmly shoving him down.

"You need to stay in the bath, Danny. It's very important." Why was he in a bath? He needed to escape before his parents caught him again and did God knows what! He tried to flail again but the arms holding him were too firm.

" _Danny_. I can't halt your time for this, you need to be in its flux for the ectoplasm to work. Please, stay still." There was an edge of panic to the voice that felt entirely wrong. Danny felt it was the kind of voice that was better suited to gentle amusement, or patient explanations. His thrashing weakened as he began to slip back into unconsciousness. It looked like he was going to be staying in the bath then. Hopefully it would make that voice less concerned.

…

Clockwork barely concealed a sigh of relief as Danny sank back into the ectoplasm. It had been touch and go for a while there. The moment he'd let the time stream embrace Danny again his body had tried to transform back into its human form. Clockwork shuddered mentally at the thought; it was hard enough to heal such a grievous wound in a ghost, but as a human Danny wouldn't have stood a chance. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had to be in time for the healing to work, Clockwork would have left the teen suspended in an unknowing state. Far kinder. The poor boy had suffered enough.

He flinched slightly as several furious presences made themselves known on the other side of the barrier he'd established around his haunt. The Observants had been angry enough to discover what Fate had in store for Danny as it was. He had no doubt that they'd had some involvement with the events that had transpired, but with grim satisfaction he knew it had been fruitless for them to try and stop it. Destiny would not be halted for any being. With a smug smile, Clockwork glanced down to Danny's still form. Besides, they were the ones that had demanded he take the halfa as a ward after the unsavoury business with that rather obscure future. What was he supposed to do? Let him die? The smile dimmed as Clockwork reasoned that was exactly what he was expected to do.

There was a more urgent and angry probing at his barrier now, and Clockwork sighed. He'd hide Danny a few seconds into the future where he would not be found, then face whatever the Observants wanted to throw at him. But they would not harm the boy.

…

The town was eerily devoid of ghosts. Normally, there were at least two or three of the spectral menaces causing havoc until Phantom showed up on the scene. Valerie gazed up at the sky as though she expected the infamous ghost to go shooting past. But the only creatures in the sky were birds and with a sigh she turned her face back to the building in front of her.

Fentonworks was both imposing and homely, but Valerie wasn't sure if the inhabitants would be feeling much of the latter right now. She knocked lightly on the door then took a hesitant step back. It was well known that you were just as likely to earn a face full of ecto-foam as you were a friendly greeting when calling on the Fentons. Better safe than sorry. A long moment passed before Valerie moved to knock again, a light frown on her face. Before her knuckles could meet the wood the door opened slowly. Valerie opened her mouth to greet whoever had come to the door but instead her mouth hung open in shock. The usually perky and collected Jazz Fenton stood before her almost unrecognisable. Her hair was unkempt, not even scraped back with her customary hairband. Bags hung heavy under red eyes and a general air of misery seemed to gather around hunched shoulders.

"Valerie?" Jazz's voice was hoarse but the surprise in it was clear. Valerie gave a weak smile in return.

"Can we talk? About… y'know." The thought of saying those words, _can we talk about Danny being dead?_ , made Valerie want to vomit. It must have bled into her expression because instead of sending her away with a flea in her ear, Jazz smiled wanly and stepped to the side in open invitation.

"Let's go upstairs. I'd rather not have anything be overheard by those people." Ice crept into Jazz's voice and Valerie found herself flinching despite herself. A glimpse towards the darkened kitchen revealed who exactly Jazz didn't want eavesdropping. Jack and Maddie Fenton were hunched over the table, papers strewn about in a haphazard fashion. If they'd heard Jazz's biting remark, they didn't comment. The two girls made their way silently up the stairs. As they reached the top, Jazz let out a quiet sob. Valerie looked up in surprise to see Jazz gazing tearfully at one of the doors down the hall. Following her line of sight, Valerie saw a door covered with stars and cut-outs of rockets. ' _Danny_ ', big red letters proclaimed and Valerie smiled despite herself. It was cute and geeky, just like the person who had decorated it. The person who wouldn't get to open that door ever again. The smile dropped from Valerie's face almost as soon as it had arrived.

"In here." Jazz said, gesturing to an open door. Valerie sidled into the room silently, looking around with the barest interest as Jazz shut the door and went to sink onto her bed. She wrapped her arms around herself as though she was trying to hold herself together, and Valerie felt a flicker of sympathy well up inside her. How hard must it have been for Jazz to know her own parents had murdered their son?

"I suppose you want to know how Danny became half-ghost?" Jazz asked, one brow raising inquisitively. Valerie hesitated, then gave a nod. It was a good idea to start at the beginning of it all. Jazz smiled weakly.

"Well, I only know what Danny told me, since it was him and… you know, when it happened." Jazz's eyes hardened at the thought of Sam and Tucker. She didn't know why they'd betrayed Danny, but she didn't care to find out. No excuse was good enough for what they'd done. Valerie remained silent.

"My parents had been working on their portal, but they couldn't get it to work…"

…

Vlad threw another beaker at the wall. It shattered, the shards of glass falling to join the dozen or so other beakers he'd broken.

"How can one ghost hide so well? Lair out of time be damned, there's always a way past any obstacle! So why can't I find one here?" More glass smashed against the wall. Maddie the cat had long since fled the room when her owner's rampage began, and he'd destroyed the computer that held the program for his beloved hologram the night before in a fit of rage. Skulker had arrived earlier that morning but one look at his boss' face had sent him straight back into the Ghost Zone.

With a shuddering breath, Vlad ran his fingers through his loose white hair. He felt like he was losing his mind. Every contact he'd reached, every favour he'd cashed in, every peon he'd threatened and not one of them could even give a hint as to how to reach Clockwork's tower. It was like the ghost didn't even exist, and Vlad might have been inclined to agree if he hadn't seen Clockwork himself. The memory of the ghost holding Danny's body so gently in his arms sent a prickle of anger through Vlad. He was supposed to be the one that was there for Danny when he was badly hurt. They were the only two true halfas in existence. No matter how they felt about each other, they shared a bond that was unspeakable. For a mere ghost to infringe on that was infuriating beyond belief.

"Daniel is _mine_! I won't stand for this _Clockwork_ thinking he can just swoop in and claim the boy as his own!" Vlad snarled, ignoring the tiny voice in the back of his head that muttered about obsessions both unhealthy and ghostly. Obsessions be damned, Danny was meant to be his son!

With an angry howl, Vlad transformed and shot into the Ghost Zone. It didn't matter how long it took, he would find _his_ Danny, and then he would pry Clockwork's hands off him.

…

Clockwork raised an eyebrow at the sheer rage of the elder halfa. While his sentiment to protect Danny was nearly at a point where it could be understandable, the reasoning behind it ruined all sense of goodwill. A quiet noise behind him prompted Clockwork to turn around. There were benefits to being able to control time on a whim, he thought fondly. The gruesome wound that had dominated Danny's abdomen was all but gone now. Clockwork knew that inside the young halfa the bones and tissues destroyed by the blast were repairing themselves too. Soon, Danny would be able to awaken once more.

Clockwork's smile faded. Of course, the physical recovery would be the easiest. The mental and emotional recovery was going to be far harder to achieve. Danny had suffered the cruellest betrayal at the hands of his friends and family. It would be difficult to move past those wounds, but given time he knew that Danny would survive. It only helped matters that the wildcards had met. Clockwork glanced at a mirror that showed Jazz and Valerie talking on a bed, before embracing each other in search of comfort. They would be a sorely needed source of strength for Danny in the coming weeks and months. His eyes glazed over slightly as another future asserted itself in the mass of possibilities.

"Ah. That's a good one. I'll have to bear that in mind." A faint grin pulled at Clockwork's lips as he returned to his present moment. Content to let time pass of its own accord, Clockwork floated back to the bath where Danny lay slumbering. He looked far better than the fragile boy that had arrived just the week before. Sometimes even Clockwork felt surprised at how quickly time could pass. Danny stirred again, a frown wrinkling his brow. Clockwork absently reached down to run a soothing hand over Danny's hair.

"You're safe, Danny. I won't let you get hurt again." The creases smoothed out and Danny sighed, relaxing back into a deep sleep. Clockwork gave an affectionate smile to his unconscious ward. He knew it was dangerous to play favourites like this, but it was hard not to like the bright, friendly and endlessly amusing young man. The smile turned wry as Clockwork recalled the scolding – for there was no better term for it – he'd received from the Observants. They had been furious, but even they couldn't refute the role Danny had to play for the future. In the end, he'd ended up scolding them for trying to interfere. It wasn't often he got to swing back at the Observants, and he'd relished every moment.

A familiar yet foreign presence brushed against his barrier and Clockwork smirked to himself. It was about time they showed up. He wrapped a strand of his power around the intruder and pulled them into his time so they would be able to see his tower.

"It looks like she got here just in time." Clockwork smirked at his own little joke. Beside him, Danny stirred once more before settling down into the bath.

…

When she'd heard the news, Dani had been heartbroken. To have lost the closest thing to family she'd ever had had dealt a harsher blow than any fight she'd been in. It was no solace that the entire Ghost Zone seemed to be in mourning as well; she thought bitterly that if they'd cared so much about him they could've cut Danny some slack. But it was too late for what ifs now. Or at least, it had been too late until she'd heard the rumours. Clockwork, was the name uttered in hushed whispers by ghosts that looked nervously over their shoulders. And why not? The legendary ruler of Time itself had been considered just that; a legend. But to have undeniable proof that he existed, when he'd vanished clutching the dying body of Danny Phantom in his arms, had sent a ripple of unease through all ghosts. Many wondered what the significance of the halfa had been. Others worried what the future would hold in light of this uncharacteristic reveal. All could feel the quivering anticipation of the looming future.

Dani soared through the Ghost Zone with no particular path in mind. She'd been given some leeway by the other ghosts, who recognised her as someone involved with Phantom's dealings. Her grief was to be respected, and not even Walker had dared try to arrest her for some perceived crime. It would have been something to revel in if the circumstances hadn't been so bitter. As it was, her freedom to wander anywhere had given Dani the perfect opportunity to hunt down this Clockwork. She vaguely remembered Danny mentioning the ghost, and where his lair could be found. But no matter how hard she scoured the area Danny had mentioned, not even the slightest hint of a gear could be found. It was more than a little annoying, if she was being honest with herself.

Dani slowed her pace before slumping onto a nearby rock with a sigh. All she wanted to do was to find out if her father-brother-cousin was okay. Was that so wrong? Not for the first time, Dani regretted leaving Danny behind after the destabilising incident. She'd just been so excited about her new strength that she'd dashed off to finally fulfil all the wants and desires she'd built up while weakened. A low humming sound snapped Dani out of her trance and she flipped backwards off the rock to observe as the Spectre Speeder glided overheard. She scowled as the windshield slid up to reveal Sam and Tucker. It wasn't the first time they'd ventured into the Ghost Zone, and she'd refrained from ratting them out to the other ghosts only because Danny would've spared them that fate.

"Danny! Where are you?" Tucker shouted, one hand on the wheel of the Speeder and the other fiddling with some device on the dashboard.

"Give him back, Clockwork! Whatever bullshit you're planning isn't worth what we'll do to you if you hurt him!" Sam yelled, looking more frenzied than she had the other days they'd come through the Ghost Zone. Dani snorted to herself. Everyone knew what the pair had done to their friend. They were top of the list when it came to humans the ghosts hated most. Danny may not have been the most popular of ghosts when he'd been around, but ghosts took care of their own, even if they were only halfas.

The Speeder moved further away from Dani, and as she watched it pass something seemed to flicker in the corner of her eye. She turned, half-expecting to see another ghost there but froze as a tower surrounded by slowly moving gears came into view. Relief flooded through her. It didn't matter how or why it had appeared, but she wasn't going to let this chance escape. Dani turned invisible and sped towards the distant tower before the humans behind her could see it as well. As she reached the doorway, Dani hesitated, a tremor of anxiety running through her. This was the lair of a powerful and feared ghost. His abilities were spoken of only in legends and stories, but what was said was terrifying. The power to completely halt time so an enemy could be destroyed before they even realised what had happened. Speeding up time to let his opponents wither into dust. Replaying the same moment over and over again, letting his foes suffer endlessly until they faded into nothingness. How was Dani meant to face a ghost like that?

A little voice in the back of her head reminded her that Danny had trusted Clockwork, possibly more than he'd trusted anyone else. He'd visited the mythical ghost more than once, and if his stories were to be believed, had even faced him in a fight and survived.

"If he's good enough for Danny, then he's good enough for me!" Dani whispered, and pushed open the imposing door. The space beyond was far less impressive than she'd expected. No grand decorations like the entrance to Vlad's mansion. Instead there was merely a small cubby, with another door standing ajar. The anticipation of entering the tower had vanished with the anti-climactic first entrance, and Dani pushed through into the next room without even thinking. With a start, she realised that this was what she had expected the first time. It was less of a room and more of a vast space, filled with gears and cogs. To her amusement, Dani recognised them as clockwork pieces.

"Hello, Danielle. I've been expecting you." Dani gasped at the sound of the voice, spinning around to face its source. A small baby-like ghost smiled benevolently back at her. She let out an incredulous snort.

" _You're_ the mighty Clockwork?" A few more undignified giggles escaped before she could hold them back. The ghost only smiled wider.

"That is correct. Well, the part about me being Clockwork is correct. I don't imagine I look very mighty right now." Dani shook her head silently, too busy trying to stifle her hysterical laughter. She had been afraid of this? Clockwork let her gather herself before turning and floating towards a metal tub near some gears coated in a reflective substance.

"You're here about Danny, yes? I understand that you're both quite protective of each other." There was a note of fondness in Clockwork's voice that didn't go unnoticed by Dani.

"Yeah, well we are kinda related y'know." Dani said, her brows furrowing in confusion as Clockwork chuckled as though Dani had told a hilarious joke.

"Oh, I'm well aware of your relation. But more importantly, you came to see Danny." Clockwork said, never taking his eyes away from the tub beside him. Dani floated forward in curiosity, but froze when her eyes caught sight of a mass of familiar white hair.

"… Danny?" She whispered, her voice catching at the end of his name. He lay in a pool of ectoplasm, a serene expression on his still face. Without thinking, Dani lunged forward with tears in her eyes to embrace her counterpart. She'd barely made it five inches before a hand grabbed her arm gently. She turned in shock to see Clockwork, now a man, holding her with a smile still on his face.

"He's still resting right now. Give him a moment to come around." He said as he released her arm. Dani backed away uneasily at the change and rubbed at the spot where he'd held her. Clockwork simply watched her in silence. The silence continued until it was broken by Dani's timid voice.

"Why are you helping him? Aren't you supposed to be all impartial or something?" Clockwork laughed openly at this, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Normally, that is the case, but circumstances have placed Danny directly under my care. He is my ward now." Dani watched as Clockwork reached down to ruffle Danny's hair. It and his face were the only things not submerged in the ectoplasm. She opened her mouth to say something only to be stopped by Clockwork speaking first.

"Ah, it looks like our moment is up. Welcome back to the land of the half-living, Danny." Clockwork's lips quirked up in a smile. Dani looked down to see the most beautiful shade of green she'd ever witnessed.

"… Clockwork? Dani?"

…

Valerie skimmed the cloud tops with her board, flying almost aimlessly. After the night spent talking to the Box Ghost, more ghosts had been returning to the human world. With their return, ghost hunters had been going wild trying to capture them in case there were other half-ghost hybrids like Danny. Property damage had skyrocketed, especially when the Guys in White launched a full-scale attack against the town's spectral visitors. Most disturbingly of all, there was talk of experimentation on the ghosts that were captured. Valerie shuddered. Her talks with the Box Ghost and Jazz had started the slow realisation that she really didn't know all there was to know about ghosts. Or even Danny, for that matter. He'd never meant to hurt her, she knew that now. And since it was too late to make amends with him, Valerie would have to continue his efforts to keep both ghosts and Amity safe.

An alert went off on her visor screen and she swerved left, angling her board down to duck below the clouds once more. It was Skulker and Ember, she realised, both of them making a concerted effort to lay waste to several GiW vans. Valerie grinned as she surveyed their handiwork. They made a surprisingly effective pair. Unfortunately, it seemed that their years of battling a single enemy had made them weak to attacks by a unified force and Ember was struck out of the air with a yelp. Skulker let out a roar of fury and blasted down the agent that had hit Ember, but two more replaced him. Valerie pulled out her thermos and fell into a dive. If she was quick enough, she'd be able to snag them both and get to Jazz before the GiW could rally themselves. Ember was sucked up first, her protests not quite as convincing as they could have been. Skulker eyed Valerie before allowing himself to be sucked in as well, putting up enough of a fight to make it look like they were still at odds. With her job done, Valerie shot off down the street with a laugh, easily dodging the blasts aimed at her by the agents on the ground.

Once out of sight, Valerie landed and let her suit fall away. It had been a surprise to find out that Technus had been the one to bestow the ghostly powers to it, but she was grateful for how easy it was to change between normal Valerie and Huntress Valerie. She jogged down the street, her precious burden tucked firmly out of sight in her bag and hopped up the steps to Fentonworks. Jazz was already there by the door waiting, and she beckoned Valerie in with a cautious glance along the street. Valerie waited for Jazz to nod towards the lab before heading down. The first time she'd come, Jack and Maddie had been down there working. It had been luck and her practice moving stealthily that had prevented them from seeing her.

"So who was it today?" Jazz asked conversationally as she followed Valerie down the stairs. Valerie chuckled in reply.

"Skulker and Ember on a romantic date blowing up government property." Jazz grinned back at her reply, and Valerie watched as the other girl moved to open the portal. It was strange how easily they'd fallen into this routine of rescuing the ghosts from harm, Valerie mused as she dug in her backpack for the thermos. If someone had asked her a month ago if she'd be helping Jazz Fenton capture ghosts to set them free again, she would have laughed at them. But then, a month ago Danny was still around. Her smile became melancholy as she thought about her friend and crush again.

"He'd be proud of what you're doing, Val." Jazz's soft voice stirred Valerie back to reality.

"I hope so. I'm breaking the law for that stupid ghost boy." Valerie winked at Jazz, who laughed back at her.

"Ready to release some ghosts?" Valerie asked, popping off the lid of the thermos. In a flash of light, Ember and Skulker were before them.

"Hey, thanks for the save, Val." Ember was smirking as she floated cross-legged. Valerie rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't need to be saving your asses every single day, y'know."

"We would have been fine if someone paid attention to their weak spots." Skulker said pointedly. Ember's hair flared higher.

"Excuse me? At least my weak spots aren't my entire body!" She shot back. Before the argument could escalate any further, Jazz stepped in.

"Enough! If you two wreck anything in here, my parents are going to realise what's going on and it's not going to end well!" The expressions on the faces of both ghosts darkened at the mention of the elder Fentons.

"You sure we can't just turn them into paste, Jazzy? They deserve it after what they did to babypop." Ember's grin was almost feral. Jazz sighed.

"I'm angry too, Ember. But Danny wouldn't have wanted them dead. He loved them, even if they didn't love him." A weary silence fell over the room. Eventually, Skulker broke it with a sigh.

"Come on, Ember. I think we made our point clear for today at least." Ember stretched her legs out and punched Valerie gently in the shoulder.

"Don't be strangers, Val, Jazzy. You know where we are." With that, both ghosts vanished through the portal. Its eerie glow was cut off as Jazz activated the DNA lock again.

"So… Same time tomorrow?" Valerie asked. Jazz snorted.

"Probably."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Very mild gore warning near the middle. Just skip past the italics.

Clockwork was very slightly beginning to regret letting Dani into the tower when he had. The second he had said her name she'd leapt on the unfortunate Danny with a sob. Ectoplasm had gone everywhere and from the noise Danny had made, he hadn't gone without injury either. Thankfully Dani had heard him as well, and backed off with wide eyes.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry Danny! I didn't mean to hurt you!" She said, wringing her hands in front of her. Danny let out a non-committal noise and raised a weak hand to wave it in the air in an attempt to convince her he was fine. That it immediately splashed back down into the diminished ectoplasm was telling enough.

"I think it's time you got some rest in a proper bed now, Danny." Clockwork sighed and reached down to scoop up his ward.

"Was that a time joke…?" Danny mumbled. Clockwork smiled.

"It might have been. Perhaps you're rubbing off on me." Clockwork turned Danny intangible to allow the ectoplasm coating him to fall away. He floated towards a door that had folded out from a nearby cog and paused before it to turn back to Dani. She stood by the empty tub, looking down into it blankly. Clockwork sighed again. He was well aware what Dani was thinking.

"Danny is safe, Danielle. No further harm will come to him, or to you. I promise." Dani looked to him with watery eyes. The moment was broken, as such moments often were, by Danny's weak quip.

"Didn't know you were… such a teddy bear… Clockwork…" With that, Danny fell fast asleep. Dani let out a noise that was a cross between a sob and a laugh and floated over to the pair. She pressed her forehead against Danny's crown for the briefest of moments, then looked up to Clockwork.

"So… A proper bed, did you say?" A cheeky smile spread across her face as Clockwork chuckled.

"Of course. Come along then, I think you both need to get a bit of sleep." He said, leading Dani through the door that slowly closed behind the three.

…

Maddie ran shaking fingers through her messy hair. The calculations were flawless, every single number had been triple-checked, then checked again. It was impossible to deny the facts. Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom. Her baby was the same monstrosity she'd been hunting for two years. Bile rose in her throat and she dragged her hands over her face, pressing her fingers into her eyes. Stars danced under the blackness of her eyelids and Maddie laughed bitterly as she remembered how much Danny had loved stars.

A tired voice from across the lab broke her thoughts. "Mads… Maybe you should get some rest. You've been up for hours now." Jack didn't look much better; his bulky form seemed to have shrunk over the last few days and his usual exuberance was completely gone. One hand hung by his waist, flexing into a fist then loosening again. Maddie blinked at him for a moment before white hot fury spread through her.

"Rest? _Rest_? How can I rest when my son is out there being consumed by some ectoplasmic filth!" Jack flinched away as though the words had struck a physical blow.

"I'm sorry, Mads, I just-" She was too angry to listen to his apologies.

"If you hadn't put that stupid on button inside the portal, Danny would never have pressed it! He wouldn't have a ghost inside him, making him do those horrible things!" Jack bristled with rage.

"Oh, and you're blameless in this? I didn't see _you_ checking where the button was! In fact, I don't recall seeing you do much about checking the actual construction of the portal!" His voice grew and grew until it was almost a roar. Maddie did not shy away. Instead, she scooped up something heavy beside her – the frame of a gun, she noted blindly – and threw it at Jack. It crashed into the wall beside his head. They both froze, staring at each other in shock. No matter the tension, the frustration, the disagreements they'd had in the past, neither of them had ever tried to hurt the other.

Jack's face darkened as he glared at his wife. "Is that how you want to cope with this? Throwing things like a child? We both made mistakes, Maddie, and we need to own up to them!" She looked away, her mouth twisting in grief.

"Two years, Jack. Two years he suffered with that ghost, and I never even noticed…" She sobbed once, and fisted one hand against her mouth. The anger drained out of Jack, leaving only a weary sorrow behind.

"I know, Mads, I know. We both should have noticed something. But what's done is done. All we can do now is get Danny back, and make him better." He crossed the lab and pulled Maddie into a hug. She struggled for a moment before sinking into it, her sobs growing louder in the quiet of the lab.

Jack rested his chin on her head, his eyes fixed on the swirling green of the open portal at the far wall. "We'll fix him, Mads."

…

Sam slammed her locker shut, trying and failing to ignore the whispers growing around her. Her hand curled around the handle until her knuckles turned white as someone hissed " _traitor_ " behind her. An elbow jammed into her spine and she jerked forward with a gasp before spinning around with a murderous look on her face. There were a few titters but nobody looked at her.

Sam clenched her shaking fists and tried to calm down. "Dammit…", she hissed, her eyes flickering around the hallway. Those that caught her eye didn't look away; instead they smirked or pulled faces back at her.

"Don't bother getting mad, Sam. It'll just end badly." Tucker's tired voice made her jump, and the giggles increased. Sam felt her temper reach boiling point.

"In case you hadn't noticed Tuck, things are already pretty bad!" Sam snarled, ignoring her stab of guilt when Tucker flinched away.

"Wow, starting on the techno geek now, Manson? I would've thought stabbing one friend in the back was enough for a lifetime." Sam tried to suppress a groan at the sound of Paulina's voice. If she'd thought dealing with the pretty Hispanic girl was bad enough before, Paulina was now infinitely worse. Clearly her adoration of Phantom won out over her hatred of Fenton, Sam thought irritably.

"Why don't you just butt out, Paulina? You didn't even like Danny." Sam said, her lip curling. Paulina's nose crinkled with disgust.

"I may not have liked him as Fenton, but he was still a hero! I would never have betrayed him! You were supposed to be his best friend and you threw him under the bus!" Paulina's sharp tone cut deep into both Sam and Tucker.

"We were trying to do what was best for him," Sam ground out, "It's not our fault his parents couldn't see the truth!" Paulina scoffed and Sam suddenly realised that half the school was surrounding them, all casting judgemental looks at them. Her attention was drawn back to Paulina when the other girl stepped forward casually. She wasn't quick enough to stop the slap that cracked across her cheek, and Sam staggered back into Tucker. The students around them began to jeer and laugh as tears stung Sam's eyes.

"Putso! You always think you know what's best for everyone, but you're just a pushy loser who wants everyone to be like you!" Paulina said, hands on her hips. There were a few calls of agreement from the crowd, and Sam felt the pressure of their presence closing in on her. She felt sick all of a sudden.

"S-Shut up, that's…" Sam's voice was weak and shaky. Paulina laughed at her.

"I bet you only hung out with Fenton because his parents were weird! The poor kid was in love with you, and all you cared about was how weird he was for having ghost hunters for parents!" Sam opened her mouth to protest, but only a sob came out. Paulina's eyes glittered with malice.

"You're probably the reason he even had ghost powers at all, aren't you?" She said, looking smug. Sam froze.

"That… We didn't know it… It was an accident!" There was silence as Sam's words sank in to all those watching. Paulina's head dipped forward, her eyes narrowing.

"You mean, you _did_ cause him to get ghost powers?" Sam's silence was damning enough. Mutters raced through the crowd. Tucker edged backwards, trying to pull Sam with him but she was rigid.

"My God, Manson, I know you're obsessed with all things gross and Goth, but trying to kill someone so they get ghost powers is low even for you." Paulina said, disgust lacing every word. The crowd edged closer and Tucker glanced around in fear. Sam just gazed blankly at Paulina, a red handprint blossoming on her cheek.

"Nothing to say for yourself? Pathetic. I really feel bad for Danny, knowing that he had to put up with you." With that, Paulina turned away, flicking her hair over her shoulder. The spell on the other students broke, and they began to leave, more than one sending dark looks at the two broken teens by the lockers.

"Sam, it's not-" Tucker began, but Sam's rough shake of the head cut him off. As the tardy bell rang and the students around them vanished, Tucker noticed Lancer standing off to one side. He looked tired. Disappointed.

"Mr Lancer, we were just…" Tucker trailed off as Lancer raised one hand.

"Just… Just go home. Both of you. You're not in any fit state to study today." With that he turned and left them, standing alone in the hallway.

…

 _It was too dark. Where was he? Why were his limbs so heavy?_

"It's awake, honey." _That was his Mom. What did she mean, it? Was she talking to him, or someone else?_

"I'll get the tools, Mads!" _Why did his Dad need tools? What was going- Oh God. Oh God, they weren't-_

"Mom? Mom, what's going on?" _He asked. He could hear the tremor in his voice. Bright light filled his eyes and he winced._

"Shut up, ghost. I'm not your mother." _Oh no. He was in serious trouble now._

"Mom, please! It's me, Danny! I can prove it to you, watch!" _He pulled on the feeling of warmth that was his human side. He could feel the cool rings pass over him and he gazed hopefully at the direction his Mom's voice had come from._

"Oh, please. That trick didn't work when we shot you out of the sky, and it isn't going to work now." _When they'd-? He remembered. And then the agony hit. He screamed and tried to move, but he couldn't feel his legs. All he could feel was the sting of the cold table against the crisped, blackened skin that rimmed the hole in his belly. Something was jammed into the melted flesh where his diaphragm had been and a Ghostly Wail was ripped from his throat._

"NonononoNO!" _It was too much! Why were they doing this? He was their son! He was-_

"Danny, wake up!" _Make it stop! Make it stop!_

"DANNY!"

Danny snapped awake, still screaming. Someone had a tight grip on his arms and he fought wildly to get free.

"Danny, you need to calm down! You're going to hurt yourself!" The voice was commanding and Danny sobbed as his struggles weakened. As he came to his senses, he recognised Clockwork at last.

"Oh, _Danny_." Clockwork's voice was so mournful that Danny burst into tears again, pressing his face into Clockwork's chest. A hand carded through his hair as Clockwork muttered soft words of comfort to him. Eventually, Danny's cries grew softer until he was only hiccupping.

"S-Sorry about making a mess on you." Danny mumbled, unwilling to pull away out of embarrassment. The fact that Clockwork was such a comforting presence was a bonus. The ghost in question gave a wry laugh.

"Don't fret about that, Danny. A few tears are hardly going to leave a permanent stain. What's more important is whether or not you're okay." Danny shrugged slightly. He was far from okay, but he wasn't going to tell Clockwork that. There was a moment of silence until Clockwork sighed.

"I should rephrase that. You are not okay. We both know this. You should tell me what happened, so we can work past it during your recovery." Danny felt a stab of hurt and anger at the thought of reliving that horrible dream.

"You already know what happened, you're the one that can see through time, remember?" He tried to pull away but Clockwork held him firm. The time ghost reached to tilt Danny's face up towards him. Danny had to look away at the look of compassion in Clockwork's eyes.

"The whole point of you telling me is so you can gain catharsis from letting out your fears, Danny. How can you recover from this the way I have seen you recover from other grievous occasions if I do not let you work through what happened?" Danny bit his lip as he tried not to cry again.

"I… I was… They had me tied down in the lab and… They were poking at me and it hurt so much and they knew it was me and they kept doing it, oh God, Clockwork, they knew it was me and _they still shot me_!" Danny's voice broke at the end and he began to weep again. Clockwork pulled him close.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. I never wanted this for you. If I could have let you go down a different path, I would have, but this was the only way." Clockwork spoke softly, letting Danny cry.

"W-Why can't you undo it?" Danny said, his voice small. Clockwork looked down at him sorrowfully.

"Danny… You are so much more important than you know. You have such a vital destiny ahead of you. The things you will do… They are unspeakably grand. But for every glorious end, Fate requires trials to be undertaken. The events that occurred were one such trial."

"But… couldn't I go back and do it a different way?" Danny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Understand this; the path you took was manipulated by me. I did not want to put you though such suffering," Clockwork added quickly at Danny's betrayed expression, "but the alternatives were…" Clockwork cut off, a haunted look passing over his face. Danny shivered. He'd never seen the time ghost look so… scared.

"It was the kindest path." Clockwork finished, his voice quieter than usual. Before Danny could ask him about the other timelines, a soft voice cut in.

"Danny? Are you okay?" Dani floated forward, her eyes scared. Scared for him, Danny realised. He offered her a lopsided smile.

"Better for seeing you here, Dani." She beamed at him, flying forward to wrap him in a hug. He inhaled the scent of her hair and felt himself relax.

"I was worried about you, cuz. When you let out that Wail, you nearly brought the ceiling down!" Danny jolted in surprise. He hadn't even noticed the state of the room until that moment. It looked as though a bomb had gone off. Clockwork gave an undignified snort at the expression on Danny's face.

"Yes, it seems you're more than capable of causing havoc even while asleep." He said, ruffling Danny's hair affectionately.

"Sorry." Danny smiled sheepishly. Clockwork merely smiled in return.

"It is of no consequence. My lair will repair itself in time. Pun unintended," as Danny snorted and Dani rolled her eyes, "But now you are awake there is a matter I need to discuss with the pair of you." This caught the attention of both Phantoms and they gazed at Clockwork expectantly.

"Danny, how much do you know about Vlad's little cloning experiment?"

…

"Man, it's way boring without the ghost twerp about." Johnny moaned, leaning back on his bike. Kitty looked over from where she was sat and put down her nail file.

"Rumour is he died and passed on instead of hanging about. That's why Clockwork grabbed him, to make sure he went instead of staying and causing havoc." She said with little conviction. Johnny seemed to agree as he scoffed at the notion.

"That kid? Move on? No way! He was too obsessed with protecting that town of his. Not that being a hero stopped his parents from shooting him out of the sky." Kitty flinched and Johnny frowned.

"What's wrong, babe? You're not that upset about him, are you?" He asked, sitting up straight. Kitty rolled her eyes at the way he turned possessive.

"Oh, give it a rest, Johnny, He was way too young for me. But he was a good kid. To all of us," Kitty glared when Johnny snorted, "Don't you snort at me! He convinced me to go back to your sorry ass, didn't he?" Johnny winced at Kitty's sharp tone. He fell back against the bike with a sigh.

"Yeah, I guess he wasn't all bad, was he?" They sat in silence for a long time until Kitty let out a sniff. Johnny looked up in surprise.

"Babe?"

"I just… I just wish we'd been nicer to him, y'know? Maybe he would've turned out to be pretty fun to hang around with. He was real nice when we were fake dating that one time. Even if I was blackmailing him." Her lips quirked up into a smile. Johnny hummed in agreement.

"He was kinda cool, I guess." Kitty laughed at him, and Johnny smiled back.

"That's a pretty high regard coming from you!" She said, and Johnny shrugged.

"What can I say? The kid was like a bad rash, he really grew on you." Kitty fell into peals of laughter at that, and Johnny followed soon after. When they calmed down, Kitty sent Johnny a devious look.

"Y'know, I heard Ember say that her and Skulker were gonna go cause a bit of chaos in the human world, get a bit of revenge for the kid. You game for joining them?" She said, all sweet and innocent. Johnny grinned wickedly.

"Baby, you're singing my song."

…

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. Vlad used my DNA and some girl's DNA to make Dani?", Clockwork nodded, "Which means she isn't my clone since she only has half of my DNA, which makes her my…" Danny stopped talking, his eyes wide with the realisation. Dani was quick to finish.

"Danny's my dad?!" She squealed. Clockwork let a small smile show on his face.

"Correct. Although you weren't born the conventional way, you are still technically Danny's daughter." Dani let out a shriek of delight and leapt onto Danny. He winced, but still wrapped his arms around her.

"So, who's the mom then?" Danny asked as he tried to stop Dani from bouncing about in his arms. Clockwork offered only an enigmatic smile. Dani turned to glare at him, all of her previous fear gone.

"Come on! You can't just drop this on us and not tell me who the lucky lady is!" She pouted, sliding off Danny and onto the bed with a thump. Danny patted her on the head sympathetically.

"I suppose one clue could suffice? You have both met her at least once." Both Phantoms frowned as they went over who could possibly be Dani's mother. Clockwork watched with amusement as Danny stiffened, his eyes going wide in shock.

"He wouldn't…" Danny breathed, looking to Clockwork. Clockwork nodded. "He did." Danny cursed under his breath as Dani watched him in surprise.

"You know who she is?" She asked eagerly, trying not to get too excited. Danny rubbed a hand over his face wearily.

"Dani… Your mom is Valerie."

…

Valerie yawned as she stood up, the ringing of the last bell slowly fading out. All around her people were hurrying to leave, calling out to arrange after-school meetings and gossip about the day. Everyone had heard about Paulina's confrontation with Sam, and the news that had been leaked from the Goth girl as a result of it. It had been a surprise for most to learn that Sam had had some role in Danny's ghost powers, but nobody knew how or why. Except for Valerie. She smirked to herself as she left the classroom, listening to the theories that were bouncing around the halls.

"Maybe it was some voodoo ritual she made him do!"

"Are you dumb? She said it was an accident! If she'd made him do a ritual then it wouldn't have been an accident!"

"Isn't there a ghost that grants wishes? Maybe Sam wished for it to happen then it did!"

"The ghosts only showed up in force _after_ Danny became Phantom, idiot."

"What if his parents made a machine to turn people into ghosts and she hit Danny with it?"

"That's stupid, they hate ghosts remember? That's why they shot him."

That last remark made Valerie's lip curl. Jazz and Danny's parents had revealed their theory for what was wrong with Danny. She and Jazz had been less than impressed with it. Jazz in particular had thrown the mother of all fits before storming out of the house, Valerie in tow. It was only the need for the portal that made them return.

It wasn't until she was almost at the curb that she heard the voice calling her name. Valerie turned only to find Paulina standing there, flanked by Star and some other popular girl she'd forgotten the name of.

"Val, are you deaf or something? I was calling you like, forever!" Paulina whined, rolling her eyes up in frustration. Valerie grinned in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Paulina. I was too busy thinking. What did you need?" Paulina smiled at her. It wasn't a cruel smile, but Valerie could tell the intent behind it was less than friendly.

"I heard a little rumour that says you might have something to do with the Red Huntress…" She said, watching for Valerie's response. Valerie's brows rose, but she held back her surprise.

"That's a hell of a rumour, Paulina. Where'd you get it?" She asked.

"Here and there." Paulina replied breezily. She clasped her hands in front of her, lowering her eyelashes in the way that got her anything she wanted. "You'd tell me if you were, right? Because we're friends, and friends support each other, right?" Valerie's back prickled. She did not want Paulina knowing her secret.

"Of course I'd tell you! But… I can't tell you, because I'm not." Valerie shrugged apologetically. Paulina frowned slightly, then smiled.

"That's fine! I guess my information was wrong, yeah? Have a good night, Val!" With that, the three girls left and Valerie was alone once more. She gripped the strap of her bag anxiously. Who had known she was the Red Huntress besides Jazz? Danny had known, she knew that much, and so had Sam and Tucker, but Danny couldn't have told Paulina and the girl would never have believed Sam or Tucker if they'd tried to tell. Valerie didn't even consider suspecting Jazz. Her friend – because that was what they were now, friends – had sworn herself to secrecy regarding Valerie and her alternate persona.

But ruling out the obvious suspects, that meant there was an unknown out there who knew her secret, and had told at least Paulina. Valerie frowned. Why did Paulina even want to know if she was the Huntress. She let out a frustrated noise and began to head home. There was no point in worrying about it now. She had work to do, then she needed to catch up with Jazz on the patrols. Not to mention the frankly obscene amount of homework she needed to do.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

Danny groaned as he fell back against the armchair Clockwork had created for them to use. It had been weeks since he'd woken up screaming and he felt more than recovered enough to go out and do something. Anything! He was going stir-crazy at being cooped up in the tower for so long. Clockwork had handled his worsening attitude with the typical resigned grace he always did, but Dani was distinctly less impressed by her father's short temper.

"Would you quit whining about it? You got shot in the guts, Danny, no matter how quick you recovered! Just relax and make the most of your recovery time!" She snapped, nearly throwing down the book she'd been reading. Danny shot her a dirty look.

"That's 'Dad' to you, Dani. And you could at least pretend to show me some respect!" Dani tried to hide a joyful smile at the reminder of her parentage. She glanced over to Danny and saw his smirk. Not quite as well hidden as she would have hoped, then.

"While Danielle is right in that it would be best for you to continue resting, I know you well enough to see when you need to go out and do something, Danny. If only to stop you from tearing my lair apart in your boredom." Clockwork's voice floated over from where he was staring at his timeline screens intently. Danny flipped over to gaze at Clockwork eagerly.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" He asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.

Clockwork smiled faintly and finally turned to look at the Phantoms. "If you are thinking that I am about to allow you to run rampant throughout the Ghost Zone, then no, it doesn't mean what you think it means," Danny deflated visibly at that. "However, you do need to go and alert your allies to the fact that you are indeed still alive and well. It wouldn't do for them to think you gone forever." Clockwork chuckled at Danny's excited yell and braced himself for the blur of black and white that launched itself at him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Danny beamed up at him, not even minding when Clockwork ruffled his hair. The time ghost gave an indulgent smile as Dani flew over as well, almost as excited as her father.

"Now, while I am the Master of All Time, even I cannot be sure of what will happen while you are out there. From my understanding, you have been missed by most if not all of the ghosts, and I expect your return will be joyous to them. However, should you come across any trouble just speak my name and I will come for you." Danny and Dani nodded to show they understood, and Clockwork gestured to the main doors.

Before they could open them, Clockwork's voice stopped them once more. "I know you have a great many allies to visit, but I would appreciate it if you could return before the day ends. Just for my own peace of mind. I assume that your stay here has taught you how to tell the time in the Ghost Zone?" Danny grinned at Clockwork's smirk, but his next words wiped the smug look from the time ghost's face.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Dad." With that they were gone, and Clockwork was left to gape wordlessly at the door. One hand was clutched to the fabric above his core and Clockwork tried to ignore the very warm feeling that was spreading from it.

"I… I didn't see that one coming."

…

Vlad entered the Ghost Zone feeling very little hope. He'd spent the last two months searching day and night for any hint of Clockwork or Danny. More disturbingly, the clone Danielle had also gone missing. He'd given up asking any of his allies for help and instead had been poring over the history books kept in Ghostwriter's library. While they had a wealth of information on the Ghost Zone, not one book mentioned anything about the location of Clockwork's tower. It didn't help that he was rapidly wearing out his welcome with Ghostwriter; the unfortunate incident where he'd scorched several books in his frustration hadn't contributed well.

"Daniel, where _are_ you, my boy?" Vlad muttered, his flight slowing until he stopped. He cast a despairing glance around himself – nothing but green whorls and purple doors as far as his eyes could see. He wasn't ready to give Danny up as gone. The only other of his kind (because he would never consider that failed experiment to be a proper halfa), the only one who understood what it was like to be so unique, so… different from everyone else.

A chill crept up Vlad's spine and he stiffened. Something was different about today. Somehow… there was a change in the air. Vlad moved forward unconsciously, his body following the trail his mind hadn't quite recognised. He couldn't place the familiar prickle at the back of his mind until he felt the chill again and froze. He knew that sensation. He'd felt it so many times before it was practically part of him. It was Danny's presence, and it was close.

"Daniel!" Vlad's face split into a gleeful grin. At last, he would have his son back where he belonged. Right by his side.

…

Ember strummed idly at her guitar. The notes blended together seamlessly, despite her lack of attention. As the last note died out, she sighed and hunched over the purple instrument. Music was everything to her, it had been her reason for living and formed part of her obsession in death. But every time she tried to play, nothing sounded right to her ears. In frustration, she lobbed her plectrum into the void of the Zone. For a moment, she felt satisfaction until she remembered that it had been her last plectrum. Ember groaned and slumped sideways onto the rock below her.

"Still moping, I see." Skulker came around to sit beside her feet. She kicked at him lazily and he grabbed her foot as gently as he could.

"Aw, can it, Skulker. You and I both know the entire Zone's been out of whack since the kid vanished. I don't even know why, all he did was kick our asses and throw us back in here again!" Ember threw her hands up in despair. Skulker shrugged and pulled out a wicked looking blade to sharpen.

"He was a powerful halfa. Perhaps even more so than Plasmius. Maybe we're all just reacting to the sudden power vacuum he's left behind." Ember sat up with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Skulker, I heard you crying to Technus about Danny being gone, don't even try to bull me with that 'power vacuum' baloney." Skulker dropped his blade and scrabbled to grab it again before it followed Ember's plectrum into nothingness.

"I wasn't crying! I was just annoyed about losing my prey!" Skulker insisted. Ember's eyebrows raised further.

"Oh, so I guess I didn't hear you wailing about how he was 'the best opponent I've ever had!' and how much you missed him then?" Skulker was suddenly very glad he couldn't blush.

The rumble of a motorbike cut off any further teasing Ember could make as Johnny's familiar voice called out to them. "Hey, not interrupting anything, are we?" Ember glared at him, her fists jammed firmly against her hips.

"No! Nothing at all!" Skulker said, more than happy to have the conversation move away from his emotions. Unfortunately for him, Ember had other ideas. She smirked at the metal ghost before replying, "We were just discussing how Skulker started crying over the dipstick going missing."

Skulker let out an indignant shout when Kitty replied, "What, him too? I thought Johnny was the only one!"

"I didn't _cry_ , Kitty, I just got oil in my eyes!" Kitty rolled hers as she hopped off the bike.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, you big baby." Both women laughed at how embarrassed their boyfriends were. Ember slung one arm around Kitty's shoulders and whispered to her, grinning as her friend burst into laughter. Skulker and Johnny both shuffled awkwardly as they tried to ignore the obviously gossiping girls in front of them.

" _Anyways_ , we were going to ask if you guys wanted to come hang out in the human world. We should be good for a couple of days as long as we don't cause too much havoc, since Val apparently has some test thing going on." Johnny finally said, sick of being teased. Ember opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the faint laughter of a young female ghost. All four ghosts looked around in confusion.

"Who was that?" Kitty said, her brow furrowed. She'd heard that voice somewhere before.

"It's the whelp's clone, the one Plasmius made?" Skulker replied, looking around for the source.

"Oh, yeah, I remember her. Hey, isn't that her over… there…?" Johnny trailed off as he stared in the direction that Dani's laugh had come from, his jaw falling slack.

"Johnny, what is it?" Kitty asked, following his line of sight. When she caught sight of what he'd seen, she gasped in shock. "… Phantom?"

Ember was the first to move, rocketing off towards the two black and white forms. The others were quick to follow.

…

"Dani, would you wait up for like one second?" Danny called to her as she flew ahead. Despite having free reign to go to and from the tower, she'd remained steadfastly by his side during his recovery. For a nomadic spirit like Dani, it had been even tougher than Danny's enforced rest. It wasn't really a surprise to him that she had been eager to dash through the Zone's wide expanses.

"Aw, c'mon Dad, aren't you even gonna try and catch me?" Dani shouted back with a laugh as she did a loop-de-loop. Danny grinned at the term, feeling oddly pleased about her using it. He'd expected to feel awkward but instead there was just a steady sense of pride and rightness. It certainly helped to explain his over-protectiveness and concern when she'd been gone around the world. He put on a burst of speed and tackled her out of her roll. She let out a shriek of laughter and phased from his arms.

"No fair, I bet you cheated!" Dani giggled as she darted out of reach again. Danny lunged forwards as though to grab her, then feinted left as she dove right back at him.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that to catch out your old man." Danny teased, his heart soaring at the way her face lit up. Dani was about to reply when something slammed into Danny's back, sending him flying with a yelp. It clung to his waist and he struggled.

"Hey! What the hell? Get off me!" Something else latched on to his other side and Danny felt smothered until he heard the familiar voices.

"It's really you, dipstick! Oh my God, we all thought we'd-"

"-Never see you again, I can't believe you're-"

"-Not dead, you scared us!" Danny blinked down at Ember and Kitty who were both clinging to him as though he would disappear without their touch.

"Ember? Kitty? What's going on?" At the sound of his voice, both ghosts looked up at him and promptly burst into tears. Danny's eyes widened and he shot a panicked glance to Dani who looked far more amused than she should have been.

"Whelp! You really are back!" Danny turned his head to see Skulker and Johnny behind him, both seeming happier than most men would be at witnessing their partners sobbing onto a teenage boy.

"Why are they crying on me?!" Danny said, struggling to free his arms from the tight grips of Ember and Kitty. They squeezed tighter and Danny groaned in annoyance.

"Kid, you've been missing for two whole months! Can you blame us for being excited to see you again?" Johnny folded his arms, a smirk on his lips. Danny glared back.

"I kind of can when my last encounter with you was dodging your bike as you tried to run it over my head, Johnny!" Kitty's head whipped up as she shot a poisonous look at Johnny. Her streaked eyeliner only made it scarier.

"You tried to run him _over_? Johnny, are you kidding me?" Even Ember was glaring now. Johnny flew back, looking more than a little terrified.

"Babe, that was _before_ he went missing, duh!" Kitty didn't get a chance to reply as Danny phased out of her grip, flying up above them all. He folded his arms and looked down at them with a frown.

"Kitty, I think you're forgetting that you kicked me in the stomach on that occasion too, because you said I was ruining your 'romantic picnic'," Kitty flushed green, "And Ember, you smashed your guitar against my back when I broke up your little concert." Ember looked away, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers in embarrassment. Danny looked to Skulker with a raised eyebrow. "I don't even need to list all the times you've tried to skin me, dude." He floated back down to be on the same level as them all. "So what gives?"

"Dipstick- Danny… We may not have always been on friendly terms…" Ember started, silencing Danny with a glare when he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "more like never…" "But you're still one of us. You're still half ghost. And we do care about you. Sometimes. When you're not being an ass." Danny sighed.

"Yeah, same to you guys, I guess. Does this mean we're on a truce now or something?" The four ghosts looked at each other before making various noises of assent.

"So where the hell were you, kid?" Johnny asked, leaning forward in interest. Danny grinned, but his smile slipped away when he heard Vlad's voice.

"Now that _is_ the million-dollar question, isn't it Daniel? I certainly would like to know where you've been squirreled away all this time." The other halfa appeared in a burst of pink smoke. Dani whimpered and flew behind Kitty and Johnny, who looked just as scared as her. Danny bristled at the expression of disgust Vlad wore when his eyes brushed over Dani.

"I don't think I owe you an explanation for that, Vlad." His voice was as frosty as his core, and Danny heard Johnny let out an impressed whistle at his bravado. Vlad snarled at Johnny and the ghost let out an undignified squeak.

"I have spent two months searching for you, you little ingrate! I know you've been hiding away with that meddlesome Clockwork," Vlad and Danny ignored the horrified gasps from the four full-ghosts at the insult, "and if you know what's good for you, you'll tell me where his lair is so I can get rid of him once and for all!" Danny's temper flared at that. How dare Vlad even suggest that?

"You won't lay a hand on him, _Plasmius_ , so why don't you fly off home and go pet your cat!" Danny spat, his eyes blazing green. Vlad roared in fury and leapt forward to clamp his hands around Danny's throat. With a gasp, Danny scrabbled at the crushing grip.

"I don't think you quite understand where you stand here, Daniel. You and I are the only half ghosts worth mentioning around here, and you _will_ do as I say if you intend for it to remain that way!" He shook Danny to prove his point. The younger halfa wheezed, only half-aware of the ghosts trying to stop Vlad. A memory whispered in the back of his mind.

 _Should you come across any trouble, speak my name and I will come for you._

"C-Clockwork!" Danny gasped, spots dancing in front of his eyes. Vlad sneered.

"He can't save you n-" Something slammed into Vlad and Danny was free at last. He dropped a few metres, coughing hard. Dani flew to his side immediately.

"Dad!" She cried out, not paying any attention to the surprised words of the ghosts above her. Danny squinted up at her as she hovered in front of a rippling purple cloak.

"Y-You came…" He rasped, leaning into Dani's arms as he grinned at Clockwork's back. His mentor turned with a faint smile.

"I did promise, Danny. Now, go back to the tower. I'll handle this." He opened a portal next to Danny. Danny gaped at him. "What? But I didn't even get to see-" He was cut off by Clockwork's abrupt tone.

"Now, Danny. This isn't negotiable. You can see your allies another time." Danny slumped, well aware that Clockwork wouldn't budge on the matter. He passed through the portal, Dani in tow. Clockwork watched silently as it closed behind them, and directed his attention to the seething halfa that had slammed into his shield just moments ago.

" _You_." Vlad hissed, his eyes blazing. Clockwork regarded him coolly. He lowered the shield without moving, and Vlad immediately teleported behind him to lash out.

"Time out." Clockwork intoned, sounding bored. Vlad froze in mid-air, his fist scant inches from Clockwork's head. The time ghost moved to the side and spared a glance for the terrified ghosts nearby.

"I would suggest you remove yourselves from the area before I go any further," a wicked grin slid across his lips, "because this will not end favourably for him." Kitty and Johnny immediately fled, while Ember had to drag away a conflicted Skulker. Once Clockwork was satisfied they'd gone far enough away, he returned his attention to Vlad. With one swift movement, he slammed his staff into Vlad's back and allowed time to resume. Vlad shot forward with a pained yelp and turned around to look at Clockwork in surprise. The time ghost cracked his knuckles with a dark look in his eyes.

"I am going to make you regret ever laying a hand on my charge, Vladimir."

For the first time in his half-life, Vlad felt true fear.

…

It didn't take Johnny and Kitty long to spread the rumours. All they had to do was tell the Box Ghost, who immediately shot through the Zone at high speed, screaming out what had happened. More than one ghost had gone to spy on Clockwork and Vlad, only to find the halfa alone and badly beaten. Nobody dared asked him what had happened after the battle had begun, but the sight of him licking his wounds was evidence enough. Danny Phantom was alive, and he was well and truly under the protection of Clockwork, which made him untouchable. Some of those that had allied with Danny strutted about as though that protection extended to them as well, while his enemies hid away nervously.

Clockwork watched the events with a passive air. He hadn't expected to feel so furious at the sight of Danny dangling from Vlad's hands. He hadn't expected to feel so pleased at Danny's apparent interest in him as a father figure. Clockwork knew he wasn't infallible. His ability to see all the possibilities of time meant that sometimes smaller events slipped past his notice in the face of larger ones. He was Time's Master, but he wasn't its Creator. He was not omniscient. This had never been a concern for him before, but now Clockwork found himself scouring every possible future timeline to make a note of every time Danny was injured or hurt. It wounded him to see just how many occasions there were. He wanted to erase every single one of them, and keep Danny safe in his tower until not a single threat to his safety remained.

"We warned you of this, Clockwork. We told you that your fondness for the boy would cloud your sight." Clockwork's grip on his staff tightened imperceptibly, but he did not respond. The Observant came closer.

"It's alright. We will take him away from you; let you recover. He can grow into his… _role_ under our watchful eyes, and the timeline will be safe." The words were soft, no doubt meant to be a comfort. But Clockwork could not hear it over the rushing in his ears. Send Danny away? Impossible. He wouldn't allow it.

"No." He murmured, raising a hand to clear the screens. The Observant made a noise of surprise.

"You refuse? Have you forgotten your position here, Clockwork? We are the ones who decide what must be done, for the betterment of all. You will obey us." Clockwork span around, a low growl in the back of his throat. He raised his staff to point it directly at the Observant. It recoiled, its pupil shrinking to a dot as it tried to keep focus on both the tip of the staff and Clockwork at the same time.

"You will not take him from me. He is my charge now, my responsibility. You decreed it yourselves. I will not permit you to take him and twist him into your puppet!" He seethed. The Observant puffed up angrily.

"How dare you! We only allowed you to control him to ensure he would not become that monster! Do not test us, Chronos-" A bolt of ectoplasm grazed the Observant's dome and it screeched in surprise. Clockwork held his hand steady although the rest of his body shook with fury.

"Do _not_ call me by that name, you have no right!" He fired off another bolt and smiled in grim satisfaction as it hit home, cracking the dome. The Observant yelped and tore open a portal in a hurry.

"You will _regret_ this, Clockwork, mark our words!"

"I doubt it!" Clockwork snapped, sending one last bolt into the closing portal. He trembled for a long moment after it had gone, struggling to regain control of his emotions. It had been so long since he'd felt such fury, so long…

"Whoa, I don't think I've ever seen you get that pissed before, dude. Did it insult your mom or something?" Clockwork whirled around, expression surprised. Danny floated there, legs crossed and an impressed look in his eyes.

"Danny, you should be in bed." Clockwork schooled his face into a bland look. Danny raised a brow.

"And miss you fighting with an Observant over me? Not likely. So why are they mad that you like me so much?" There was a sly grin on Danny's face that made Clockwork want to groan. Instead he folded his arms and tried to seem unimpressed.

"Eavesdropping is frowned upon in polite society, Daniel." Danny snorted and flipped upside down. His hair looked like he'd stuck his fingers in an electric socket and Clockwork smiled despite himself. "Is it really eavesdropping if it's about me?" Danny asked, tilting his head and managing to look even more comical.

"Yes, it is. But to answer your question so you will stop pestering me and go to bed," Clockwork tried to look stern, "they are upset that I… am less impartial when it comes to you. They feel I should keep my distance. They are right, in a way." Clockwork's lips twisted unhappily. Danny scoffed.

"And what, you're supposed to be miserable and alone for the rest of your afterlife? As if I'd let you!" Clockwork looked at him in surprise. Danny noticed and shrugged.

"I meant what I said this morning. You're pretty much my ghost Dad at this point. You look out for me and help me with stuff, but you let me make mistakes too and show me how to work past them if I can't fix them. And I know you care underneath that stoic exterior, even if you do try to hide it." Danny had an impish smile on his face. Clockwork laughed and shook his head.

"Stoic? That's an impressive word from you, Danny. I take it your weeks spent reading were useful after all?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and righted himself. Clockwork felt a rush of affection and he floated over to pull Danny into a hug. When the halfa returned it, Clockwork sighed.

"Danny, you will always have a home here in my tower, no matter what you are told, or what you experience. And you will always have me." Danny's grip tightened.

"So you don't mind that I see you like a dad?" He mumbled quietly. Clockwork laughed under his breath and pulled away to cup Danny's face.

"Of course I don't mind. It is an _honour_ to be your ghost Dad, Danny." Danny beamed and hugged Clockwork again. Clockwork smiled fondly as he felt pieces of the future slot into place. Yes, he was more than happy to be a father for Danny. And if that meant that the future would be a brighter one? Well, that was just the cherry on top.

an: lmao get rekt vlad


	5. Chapter 5

Something was going on, and Valerie didn't like it one bit. The ghosts had stopped coming into the human world despite the warnings she'd gotten from some of her more sympathetic adversaries about upcoming raids on government hunters. There was a shiver of anticipation in the air, and even regular people seemed to feel it, with many citizens looking up to the skies as though they could find the answers there. To make matters worse, Paulina was still suspicious and Valerie had found her or one of her cronies on every single one of her usual escape routes. It was unnerving how much Paulina seemed to know about her. At least the down time had allowed her to catch up on overdue school work. The bell rang to signal the end of lunch and Valerie got up to throw away her garbage.

"Val!" Jazz ran up to her. She looked scared and Valerie's instincts kicked into overdrive. She grabbed her friend by the wrist and dragged her into the nearest bathroom, growling at the startled freshmen when they complained about being thrown out. She leant against the door to prevent anyone from entering and watched Jazz as the older girl paced the room nervously.

"What happened? Have your parents done something?" Jazz groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"This is all my fault! I didn't even think- But then they've never used them before so I just didn't consider that- Why couldn't they have just stayed oblivious?!" Jazz threw up her hands and sent Valerie a wild look.

"Jazz. What. Did. They. Do." Valerie ground out. She could hear movement on the other side of the door, and her nerves were starting to fray. Jazz slumped against the sinks, looking wearier than Valerie had ever seen her.

"They were reviewing the security tapes, to find out what happened to Danny two years ago." Jazz began. Valerie nodded and said, "They still wanna 'fix' him, right?" Jazz snorted, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah. Only problem is, they watched all of the tapes. _All_ of them, Val. They know about you, and me. And what we've been doing." Valerie's heart sank and the rest of her body followed suit as she slid to the floor.

"They know I'm Huntress? Wait, shit! They know we've been helping the ghosts?" Valerie swore when Jazz nodded sombrely.

"They're furious. Called us both filthy sympathisers. But that's not the worst of it, Val. They're going to dismantle the portal." Valerie shot up, horror in her eyes. The portal was the only way they had to send ghosts back to the Zone. If the Fentons took it apart, ghosts that could create natural portals would be able to overrun the town and there was no guarantee they would be as amicable as they had been.

"Are they crazy?! How are we meant to send ghosts back if we don't have a portal to send them back with?" Valerie didn't notice the door opening just a sliver behind her.

"Danny had an ally who could tear portals open with his claws. I think his name was Wulf? If we can get into the Ghost Zone before my parents ruin the portal, we might be able to find him and get his help." Jazz said. Valerie put her hands on her hips.

"Jazz, in case you're forgetting, the Ghost Zone is huge and full of potentially hostile ghosts. We can't just go flying in there with no clue about where we're going and the risk of our exit being cut off." Jazz looked uneasy and Valerie groaned.

"Spit it out, Fenton. I know you're gonna say something I won't like, so… just spit it out." Jazz fiddled with the hem of her shirt for a moment then glanced to Valerie sheepishly.

"There's always Vlad?" She said. Valerie's jaw dropped open. " _Plasmius_? You want us to go ask _Plasmius_ for help? I am _not_ asking that egotistical, manipulative, murderous asshole for help!" She slammed a fist into the wall by the door, leaving plaster to rain down from the sizable dent she'd made. There was a squeak from behind the door, but Valerie didn't hear it.

"I know you're mad about the whole 'melting Dani down' thing, but he may be our only choice! We don't have to work with him long-term, we can just use him to get to Wulf without getting stuck in the Zone! Plus, he might have contacts that could help us find Wulf." It was reasonable, but Valerie still felt too angry to consider it.

"And who says he'll even help us anyway? The number of ghost attacks has dropped to nothing, not to mention that they've only been targeting the government hunters anyway. He's more likely to try and kill us than help us." Valerie grumbled.

"That's why I have a plan," Jazz said, her lips curving into a smile, "Vlad's always been obsessed with three things; Killing my dad, marrying my mom, and having Danny as his son. I'm not willing to let him have the first two, but if we can convince him that Danny is alive somewhere and we need Wulf to find him…"

"… Then he'll be more likely to help." Valerie finished, her own grin almost an exact reflection of Jazz's. "Jazz, you evil genius!" Jazz's smile softened slightly.

"If I'm being honest, a little part of me is hoping that maybe Wulf _can_ help us find Danny. I don't believe for a minute that he's dead, Val. Not if Clockwork helped him. Danny never told me all the details about Clockwork, but I know he trusts him with his life." Valerie stepped forward to pat Jazz on the arm.

"I'm sure he's out there somewhere, Jazz. He has to be, because I still need to kick his ass for not telling me he was Phantom." Both girls laughed at that.

…

Paulina stepped away from the door, her footsteps light and quick. She'd known that Valerie was hiding something, but to discover such an insidiously deep secret going on under everyone's noses was surprising. Valerie had always had a sneaky streak, Paulina mused, fluttering her eyelashes at the hallway monitor that tried to stop her for a hall pass. He flushed red and let her past.

Part of her was angry at her old friend. She'd been attacking Phantom for over a year now, and Paulina's love for the hero couldn't let that slide. But she knew that Valerie would never have wanted to harm Fenton. She'd seen just how fond the girl was of her nerdy little crush. Who had turned out to be not so nerdy after all.

She slipped into Lancer's class with a light giggle and an excuse about "girl problems", and took her seat with little fuss. There was a flicker of satisfaction when she saw Manson and Foley's seats still empty. Paulina had meant what she said. She knew she was cruel and flaunted her position of power over other students, but she was still a fiercely loyal person. Even when Valerie had lost her money and prestige, she'd never bullied the other girl. To see Danny's so-called friends casually rip away all of his secrets so easily had disgusted her to her core. Paulina couldn't even see why they would have done it. Fame? Power? Money? Danny would have been the one to gain those things, not them. It certainly hadn't been to protect them, the Fentons had seen to that. She scowled. Those monsters weren't fit to call themselves parents.

A note bounced onto her desk and Paulina glanced over to where Star was wiggling her eyebrows. The blonde nodded down to the paper and retuned her attention to Lancer, who didn't seem to have noticed the exchange. Paulina moved as though to stretch, scooping up the note and unfolding it as she did so. She let the open note rest between her elbows as she hunched over the desk, trying to look as though she was focusing on the book in front of her instead.

 _What did you find out?_ Star's familiar curly writing said. Paulina tapped on the book with her pen a couple of times, then scribbled out a quick response when Lancer's eyes had passed over to her. She waited until the teacher had turned to toss the note back over to Star, who caught it with practised ease. It was almost comical to watch how Star's eyes widened until they were saucers at Paulina's note. Her head shot up to look at Paulina, her face incredulous. Paulina nodded silently and Star's jaw dropped. She scribbled out a reply and threw the paper at Paulina, barely waiting for Lancer's attention to shift as she did so.

 _Are they crazy? The Ghost Zone is way terrifying! What if they get killed?_ Paulina rolled her eyes a little. Valerie was the Red Huntress, and Jazz came from a family of ghost hunters. It was unlikely they'd be killed that easily by ghosts.

 _I think it's time we offered our help._ She wrote, her handwriting as neat and perfect as the rest of her. She passed the note back and waited patiently as Star read it. Her friend looked back and smiled before nodding firmly. Paulina sat back in her chair with a smirk. Surprising Valerie and Jazz with their knowledge _and_ getting one over on all the assholes that had hurt Phantom?

This was going to be fun.

…

The tiniest whisper of movement behind him made Clockwork smile. He let Danny get closer and spoke up just as the teenager was about to pounce.

"Don't even think about it." He heard the huff and smiled wider as Danny floated around to hover beside him.

"How'd you even know?" Danny asked, his arms folded. Clockwork raised a brow.

"I'm the Master of All Time, Danny. I know everything. Now, where have you been all day?" Danny grinned and Clockwork tried not to sigh. That was the kind of smile that meant 'I'm going to say something you'll regret'.

"I thought you knew everything?" Danny laughed, even when Clockwork bopped him over the head with his staff.

"You should respect your elders, Danny. I asked because there were many possible places that you could have been to, and it's politer to ask you about your day than to check the timeline." Although the words were stern, the person saying them was anything but. Danny moved to lean on Clockwork's shoulder as he replied.

"I went to go practice tarot reading with Desiree, then she showed me the new mandala she's been painting. It's so detailed! She said that if I can do a satisfactory reading before she finishes it, she'll give it to me to keep!" He bounced with excitement. Clockwork hummed in interest.

"You should ask her to teach you how to paint mandalas too. They're supposed to be very relaxing. But surely that's not what has kept you so entertained all day, hmm?" Danny laughed to himself at a memory, and Clockwork smiled. It was good to see Danny so happy.

"Dani and me went to go play karaoke with Ember and Youngblood. We ended up too close to Walker's jail though, and when Ember took her turn, she ended up making all the guards start dancing! It was hilarious watching them, until Walker came out to chase us away." Danny shook with laughter and even Clockwork chuckled at the mental image.

"I take it Danielle is still with them?" He asked, and Danny nodded. "She was going to go play pirates with them, since Ember since has her outfit from the last time. I said I'd go get her later when we go to the Lunch Lady's for dinner."

"Lunch Lady? Ah, yes, I forgot you were due to spend the evening with Agnes. Hmm, that does put a spanner in the works." Clockwork mused. Danny's head tilted.

"Did you have something planned?" Clockwork nodded absentmindedly.

"Yes, we're due to have some very special guests this evening, ones that you and Dani need to be here for especially." Danny shrugged.

"I'll go ask Lunch Lady – I mean, Agnes – if we can go tomorrow instead. She won't mind, she always makes a ton of food anyway. Be back later, Dad!" Danny shot out of the door again and Clockwork turned back to his screens, chest puffed out in pride. He really did like that word.

"I suppose I should prepare for them." Clockwork said, watching the screen that showed an image of the human realm. He looked forward to seeing their reactions when they saw Danny.

…

Jazz skidded sideways, cradling the broken Fenton Peeler in her hands. Valerie was faring much better, thankfully. She jumped off her board and let it slam into Vlad's ribs as he tried to tackle her off it.

"Get off your ass, Red!" Valerie snapped, standing protectively in front of Jazz. The board hadn't done much to stop Vlad, and he tossed the broken remnants aside with a feral growl. Valerie could hear Jazz scrambling to her feet behind her.

"You got any more weapons or do you want a loan?" Valerie asked, her visor locking onto Vlad and the three clones he'd positioned invisibly around the room. She didn't know if he knew she could see them, but she wasn't going to take a risk.

"I've got a backup Peeler, and some guns, but if he keeps gunning for them like that I'm gonna be in trouble." Jazz replied, and the familiar sound of the Peeler snapping into position over her was a welcome relief to Valerie. She took a breath and _thought_ , letting several guns spring forth from her suit. They aimed at the invisible clones and Valerie smiled grimly at the surprised expression on Vlad's face.

"What's the matter, Plasmius? Did you forget about the temperature lock-on? And don't get any ideas about going all room-temp on me, we both know it won't work now." Vlad hissed and all four halfas sprang into action. Valerie and Jazz leapt in different directions, Jazz firing at the sole visible Vlad while Valerie worked to pick off the invisible ones.

"You ungrateful little wretch! I'm the one who started you off as a ghost hunter, and this is how you repay me?" Vlad blasted off three guns and Valerie winced. She knew they weren't technically attached to her, but there was always a weird flicker of pain every time her guns were broken.

"Maybe if you weren't such an aggressive asshole, we wouldn't be fighting! All we wanted was to use your portal to go find Danny!" At the mention of Danny's name, Vlad roared furiously and tackled Valerie through the wall with his intangibility. She shrieked and tried to break free, but Vlad pinned her down underneath him.

"That's a better look for you than red, my dear." He hissed and for one brief moment, Valerie was paralyzed with shock. Then rage flooded her system and she pulled out her trump card.

With one quick move, Valerie crooked her knee and rammed it upwards to become more intimately acquainted with Vlad. The malice in his eyes instantly turned to agony and he fell off her with a wheeze. Valerie leapt to her feet and aimed another kick for good measure.

"You fucking pervert!" She yelled, hands shaking with fear and anger. Vlad retched onto the ground and glared up at her through eyes lidded with pain.

"I didn't mean it _sexually_ , you idiot! God, I think you ruptured something!"

"I can make sure, if you want." Valerie warned, winding her leg back for another kick.

"Valerie, are you okay? All the clones just vanished and I was- Whoa, what did you do to him?" Jazz came running around the corner, but skidded to a halt at the sight of the mayor hunched on the ground clutching at himself.

"I taught him that sexual assault is a serious matter." Valerie replied, watching with some satisfaction as Vlad rolled onto his side with a groan.

"It wasn't sexual assault, it was a fight, for pity's sake!" Vlad ground out, trying and failing to sneer. Jazz joined Valerie and both women glared down at the halfa.

"We're just gonna leave you there and go use your portal, okay? If you think about turning it off, or breaking it, or even trying to fight us again, I can promise you that the pain you're feeling right now will be nothing compared to my wrath." Valerie squatted next to Vlad, smirking as he flinched away.

"If you really are looking for _Daniel_ , then I wouldn't bother. He's hiding away with Clockwork, and no amount of searching will gain you entrance to his lair." Vlad huffed. Jazz gaped at him.

"So he _is_ with Clockwork! But… What do you mean we won't be able to find him?" She asked.

"I prefer to keep unwanted visitors out. Stops people trying to change their timeline constantly. Although that never stopped your brother." Valerie turned on her heel, aiming a gun at the ghost her sensors had only just picked up. Jazz let out a cry of warning but it was too late. Valerie fired… And the blast dissipated as though it had never existed. The ghost smiled in amusement.

"My apologies, Ms. Gray. It was rude of me to sneak up on you. Nice to see you again, Vladimir. Pain suits you." Vlad scuttled backwards in terror but the ghost did not move. Valerie lowered her arm slowly, looking between Vlad and the ghost.

"Who are you spook?" The ghost smiled wider.

"My name is Clockwork. And I believe I know someone that yourself and Ms. Fenton over there would be very pleased to see."

…

"So uh, this card means… renewal?" Danny gazed hopefully at Dani until she shook her head.

"Reversed Judgement means weakness. Normal Judgement is the renewal one, but neither of those apply to this reading. At least, that's what the book says…" Dani pored over the little paperback Ghostwriter had given Danny while her father fell back with a groan.

"This is way hard! How does Desiree even know what half of these stupid cards mean? She managed to do like five readings in half an hour, meanwhile I can't even do one in an hour!" Dani rolled her eyes and tossed a pillow at Danny.

"I don't even know why you're so interested in this stuff. Sure, it's cool to be able to maybe tell the future, but have you forgotten where we're living right now? I mean, hello! Master of All Time's lair here! Just go check out one of the gears or something."

"I think Danny has more than learned his lesson regarding improper use of my gears, Danielle. Besides, I have some people here to see the pair of you." Clockwork floated into view, looking incredibly smug. Danny was immediately suspicious. He sat up quickly.

"If you've brought the Observants here to give me a lecture on not using your gears, then it was all Dani's… Jazz?" Danny's voice was quiet and hopeful as he finally saw the young woman standing just behind Clockwork. She sobbed once then threw herself at her brother.

"Oh, Danny! I've been so worried about you! I'm so sorry, I should never have been so pushy about making you tell them, even though I know it wasn't you who told them but I feel responsible because I made you think they would accept you, and they were such monsters about it and I'm so _mad_ with them Danny-" Danny pushed away and tried not to laugh.

"Jazz. Breathe. It's okay. _I'm_ okay." He said, patting her on the shoulder. Jazz blinked at him before tugging him back into a hug and crying into his shoulder. They embraced for a long moment until somebody cleared their throat. Jazz pulled away and stepped to the side, and Danny found himself face to face with a suited Valerie. His eyes widened as she advanced, her eyes dark.

"V-Valerie?" He stammered, not noticing how Jazz began to giggle next to him.

"I've got a couple of things for you, _Phantom_." Valerie growled, and Danny felt himself back up just a bit.

"Valerie, I know that I lied to you about a lot of stuff but I never-!" A slap cut off his words and Danny winced. Not as hard as he had expected, but a shock nonetheless.

" _That_ was for never telling me you were Phantom. And this? This is for everything else." Valerie grabbed him by the front of his suit and Danny flinched. Then she crushed her lips against his and his eyes shot open. He could hear someone whistling in approval but as Valerie's hands slid around to cup the back of his neck, Danny's eyes closed and he wrapped his arms around her waist blissfully. It felt like forever had passed by the time they pulled apart, and both teens were blushing.

"Well, uh, that definitely was not what I expected but I'm not gonna complain." Danny said in a low voice. Valerie flushed harder and gave him a light punch to the shoulder.

"Damn, Mom, where'd you pull that out from?" Dani laughed from behind them and Valerie stiffened. She eyed Danny with suspicion.

"Is that Dani? Why did she just call me Mom?" Danny coughed nervously and took one hand from her waist to rub behind his neck.

"There's a lot of stuff we need to tell you guys."

…

Skulker eyed his displays with irritation. Now that he wasn't hunting the whelp any more, he needed to rearrange everything so it would look better. Ember had come over, ostensibly to help, but the arrival of Kitty and Dora had meant that the three women were huddled in the corner gossiping.

"Oh hey, Dipstick Junior sent me a picture." Ember's voice piped up and Skulker's attention was drawn to it. The revelation that Vlad had created Danny's child in one of his twisted plots had been disturbing to many ghosts, and Skulker had found himself reconsidering his alliance with the man. It was one thing to engage in fights with prey, it was an altogether different matter when you used their DNA to create new life. His line of thought was cut off by Ember screaming.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" She bounced around the room gleefully, holding up her phone like it was the key to the universe. Kitty and Dora were squealing at a higher pitch than Skulker was happy listening to.

"What is going on over there?" Skulker yelled, and Ember pulled at his arms in excitement.

"Guess who planted one on the Dipstick?!" She said, clapping her hands delightedly. Skulker frowned, trying to piece the sentence together. His eyes widened when he figured it out.

"The whelp found a mate then?" Ember rolled her eyes and waved her phone in Skulker's face.

"Look! Look! They're totally making out!" There one the screen was an image of Danny and Valerie kissing deeply. Skulker began to laugh.

"A ghost and a ghost hunter! The perfect couple!"

…

an: get rekt vlad part 2: the rekening

also fuck yeah grey ghost!

credit for the scene with danny trying to sneak up on clockwork goes to totallycorrectdannyphantomquotes on tumblr, who i did not forget to credit at first, not at all


	6. Chapter 6

Dani rocked on her heels nervously, watching Valerie – her mom – as she sat wide-eyed. Danny was next to her, looking as anxious as Dani felt. Valerie blinked slowly and opened her mouth, prompting both Phantoms to lean forward. Her mouth snapped shut and they fell back with identical sighs. Off to the side, Jazz tried to stifle her laughter at the scene. She glanced to Clockwork, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden.

"So… you can see the future? You know when they'll all snap out of it?" Clockwork glanced at her, a smirk on his face.

"That would spoil the fun, don't you agree?" He said, his smirk growing as Jazz rolled her eyes.

"My dad is gonna kill me." Valerie suddenly blurted out, startling Danny into falling backwards. Dani managed to retain her dignity by only letting out a small squeak. Valerie looked down at Danny, her stunned expression morphing into a more gleeful one.

"Oh man, my dad's gonna kill _you_." Danny squawked in protest as Valerie began to laugh.

"It's not like I got you _pregnant_ or anything! Technically Vlad is the one that created Dani, so he should be the one to die!" Valerie's laugher faded as she saw Dani flinch a little. She reached out to pat her daughter on the arm.

"At least he's getting a kickass granddaughter out of this, right?" Dani perked up, launching herself into a surprised Valerie's arms.

"And I get a kickass mom too!" She buried her face into Valerie's shoulder with a happy hum. Valerie looked up to catch Danny watching them. His eyes were soft and there was a fond expression on his face. She flushed and turned her face into Dani's hair to hide.

"Now that we are all on the same page in regards to family matters, there is one last item that Ms. Gray must be made aware of before we go any further." Clockwork interrupted the moment, more solemn that he had been since the start of Danny's stay. Danny felt his gut twist anxiously.

"There is?" He asked, just as Valerie said, "What item?" They glanced to each other, both uncertain.

"As I believe you now know, Ms. Gray, your newest suit was somewhat of a gift from Technus, the self-proclaimed master of all technology. What you do not know, is that the suit is more than just a suit. In fact, it has bestowed upon you a gift and a curse in equal measure." There was silence as Clockwork spoke. Valerie frowned.

"A gift… and a curse? Do you mean because of me spending all my time hunting ghosts?" Clockwork sighed and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it isn't quite as simple as that. What do remember about the moment you gained your new suit?" Valerie leant back, still holding Dani, and thought.

"When I was a little girl, I was nearly struck by lightning. I was near a tree that got struck, and some of the static in the air hit me. It hurt like hell," She laughed to herself, "I guess getting the suit felt like that? But I wasn't scared. It felt like that sharp sting of electricity, and then something cool spreading across me, like aloe vera on a burn." Danny swore loudly and shot up several feet into the air. Everyone except Clockwork stared at him in surprise.

"Danny?" Jazz said, watching her brother as he ground the palms of his hands into his eyes. Eventually he floated down slowly, gazing at Valerie with sorrow.

"Did… Did you feel like your insides were all twisty and hot, then they went cold and still?" He asked. Valerie nodded, and Danny closed his eyes in pain.

"And then it felt almost nice, right? Your body didn't feel like your body any more, but it wasn't a bad feeling." Danny continued, staring down at his hands.

"Danny, how do you know all this?" Valerie asked, a sick feeling in her stomach. Danny looked up at her blankly.

"Because you didn't just get a new suit. Isn't that right, Clockwork?" Clockwork nodded slowly.

"When Technus infused the remains of your suit with his power and wrapped you up in them, there was enough of a charge in them to electrocute you near fatally. However, there was also enough ectoplasm in the machinery to prevent you from dying. Instead, you were made into something different. Much like Danny was." Jazz gasped in horror and Valerie felt Dani's arms loosen around her, but she was too focused on Danny's mournful expression as he finished Clockwork's words.

"Valerie… You were made into a halfa that day." Valerie began to shake and something on her face must have given away her impending breakdown because Danny had her in his arms almost as soon as her sobs began to break free. She faintly heard Clockwork ushering Jazz away, but Danny's gentle embrace and soft words were the only things keeping her sane at that moment.

"I'm so sorry, Val. I would never have wanted this life for you." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Valerie could feel Dani carefully ease her way into the hug and she pulled the younger girl close.

They remained in their odd little hug for a long time before Valerie began to calm down. The initial shock was gone and instead there was only an odd acceptance. She was half ghost. So was Danny. So was her daughter – and that was somehow the less weird of the two. She would get through this. _They_ would get through this.

"Thanks, but I think I'm okay now." Valerie sniffled, pulling away from the two with a smile. They hovered anxiously, and Valerie could see how Dani had come from Danny. They had the same eye shape, the same tilt of the nose. But as she looked closer she could see herself too. The shape of Dani's face, the curve of her lips. It was strange, but good.

"If you want, I can show you how I let off steam when I'm feeling blue?" Danny asked. There was something mischievous about the way he said it, his eyes sliding over to look at Dani who was giggling.

"Lead on, ghost boy." Valerie said, her heart jumping at Danny's excited grin.

Maybe this would turn out better than she'd expected.

…

Click. Click. Play.

 _A shaky image of the kitchen floor as it had been before one of their prototypes had gome off and burnt it irrevocably. Quiet mumbles from the person manning it as they try to adjust the focus. The thundering of feet from upstairs and a familiar voice, only much younger._

" _Daaaad! Jazz said she's gonna blow out my candles before I can!"_

" _Did not, you tattle!" Laughter, deep and warm. His laughter. The camera pans up and focuses on Maddie as she stands in front of Danny and Jazz, hands on her hips._

" _Alright you two, behave. Jazz, it's your brother's birthday so please try to be nice, okay? Danny, you'll get to blow your candles out soon." Mumbles from the two children as they submit. Maddie turns away, and the camera catches Jazz pulling Danny into a one-armed hug, followed by a large gift being shoved into his hands._

" _Happy birthday, Danny!" She's beaming, but not as wide as Danny. He plonks himself on the ground and immediately begins to tear happily at the paper. He stops and gapes at what's inside before dropping it and leaping up to hug Jazz._

" _A rocket ship! A rocket ship! And it's the one I wanted! You're the best, Jazzy!" They swing about, giggling with delight._

" _Here, sweetie, this is from me and your dad!" Maddie's back, and she offers another gift to Danny. He grins and just about manages to avoid snatching it. Inside there's a subscription to NASA's kids magazine, as well as a huge playset designed around their space station. Danny squeals._

" _Thanks Mom!" He wraps his arms around her legs. Then there's a quick run over to the camera as Danny hugs Jack too. He looks up into the lens, his eyes wide with love and happiness._

" _Thanks Dad!"_

Stop.

Click. Click. Play.

" _\- Can't you stop arguing over Christmas for_ one _year? Is it any wonder Danny is so stressed at school?" Jazz is excellent at channelling her teenage anger into a righteous fury, especially when Danny is involved. He seems to be the cameraman this time, and he quips almost constantly._

" _I'm stressed at school because school is_ boring _, Jazz." Jazz rolls her eyes at him, still trying to break up the fight between Jack and Maddie._

" _It's scientifically impossible for Santa to exist!" Maddie snaps, and Jack pouts angrily._

" _Then who delivers all the presents, Maddie? Hmm?" Clearly a sound rebuttal._

"We _do!"_

" _Aw dude, sick, my parents are Santa." Danny's voice contains more sarcasm than a boy of twelve should ever hope to achieve._

" _Danny, would you put the camera down and help me?" Jazz pleads. The camera shakes as Danny snorts._

" _Jazz, we'll get put on the Naughty List if we interfere." Any further comments are cut off by the echoing sound of a turkey gobbling. There's a pause, then Danny and the camera scramble for the stairs, Jazz in tow._

" _Why does this happen_ every year _?! Can't we just have a normal turkey?" Danny pants, ducking as an ectoplasmic egg pelts the wall ahead of him._

" _DIE, ECTOPLASMIC SCUM!" Maddie's yell, which is soon followed by panicked screams as the turkey leaps at her and Jack._

" _C'mon, I'll call for Chinese." Jazz sighs._

Stop.

Click. Click. Play.

" _Danny-boy! How'd you get the portal working? Oh, and remember to speak to the camera, we need this for documentation." Danny's pale face comes into view, flanked on either side by Sam and Tucker. They look terrified, but Danny just looks like he's in shock. He opens his mouth, but there's only a squeak._

" _Uhh… Well, he just flipped the switch a couple of times, Mr Fenton!" Sam cuts in, her eyes darting between Danny and the camera. She smiles, but it's more of a grimace._

" _Yeah! He maintained a healthy distance from the portal at all times and did not step inside at all!" Tucker babbles. Sam's head snaps round to look at him, and Tucker jumps with a squeak._

" _Tucker! Ix-nay!"_

" _I don't feel so good." Danny blurts, his face going an alarming shade of green._

" _We'll take him upstairs!" Sam and Tucker shout in unison, panic clear on their faces._

" _Oh dear, I'll come up in a second, sweetheart!" Maddie says, but her attention is drawn back to the portal. The camera turns to it, then is dropped on a table and spins around to face the stairs. Sam and Tucker are trying to coax Danny up them with a surprising amount of difficulty._

 _Just before the video cuts off, Danny flickers invisible._

Stop.

Click. Click. Play.

" _Ready for your first day of high school, sweetie?" Maddie's holding the camera. It's aimed at Danny, who just rolls his eyes and pokes at this cereal. Despite his unimpressed appearance, his eyes keep flicking towards Jack and the invention he's fiddling with._

" _Ready for hell? I guess so." Maddie tuts at him, but a black glove reaches out to ruffle his hair._

" _You sure you're okay, Danny? You haven't been yourself these last few days. Did that little shock you got from the portal switch hurt you that much?" Danny's spoon slips through his fingers. Literally. They turn intangible._

" _I… Mom, can I tell you-"_

" _It's finished! Hey Danny, guess what? This new invention can disintegrate a ghost into individual components while still retaining the chemical bonds that will allow reconstitution! We'll be able to break down those filthy ghosts then put 'em back together for dissection!" Danny's face goes white and he throws himself away from the table._

" _Need to go check I packed everything!" He squeaks and flees up the stairs._

" _Oh, Danny, you haven't finished your breakfast!" Maddie sighs, and the camera is turned off._

Stop.

Jack stared at the screen, his eyes unseeing. He'd hoped to find out when and how Danny had been infected with ectoplasmic material, but the lab tapes had been scrubbed clean. That was when he had thought to check the home videos in case there was evidence of gradual infection. Instead, he'd felt his heart break over and over again.

When was the last time he had seen Danny truly smile? Certainly not since the portal accident. Danny's face had been haunted by something since he'd turned the portal on.

Jack sank in his chair. But that was the whole problem, wasn't it? Danny had been fine right up until the activation of the portal. And then everything had gone wrong. He'd been skittish and afraid. Jack had seen the terror in his eyes every time he or Maddie discussed ghost hunting. Had that been the ghost inside Danny showing fear? But that went against all their notions of ghosts and their inability to feel emotions beyond their obsession. Which really only left one conclusion.

Danny had been afraid of them. Afraid of what they could do to him. He could still feel, so he wasn't a ghost. But Jack had watched his son turn into that abomination called Phantom, had watched those sleek white bands wipe away the human and leave a ghost behind. It defied all logical sense.

Jazz's words from the day of Phantom's reveal echoed in the back of his mind. _Danny_ is _Phantom! He's half ghost! Your stupid portal electrocuted him and merged ectoplasm with his DNA!_ Impossible. The ectoplasmic contamination would have killed him, even if the electrocution hadn't. And Danny wasn't dead. Jack pulled up photos of Danny from before the accident, and just before they had discovered his true identity. There were obvious signs of growth. A wider chest, broader shoulders. He was taller too. On a whim, Jack pulled up photos of Phantom too. The same signs popped up.

Jack leant back in his chair, running one hand through his stubble. Ghosts weren't supposed to age. They were echoes formed in ectoplasm, mere memories of what had passed. So even if Danny _had_ died, he would have remained at the same height and size as he had been when he died. Jack let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed at his temples. All the facts were sat in front of him, but it went against his pride as a scientist to admit to it. It wounded him as a father to admit to it. Because if it were true, and Danny was some new kind of hybrid capable of performing ghostly abilities while retaining his humanity…

Then his own parents had shot him out of the sky like he was nothing.

…

"Okay, so here's the plan. I'll put pressure on my Daddy to contest the laws against ghosts. He's already pretty pissed about what happened to Danny considering all the times he's saved me. Star, you're gonna start the school campaign to get all the other students in on a peaceful protest against the Guys in White. Kwan, you're helping her with the nerdier kids because they all look up to you after you hung out with Manson and Foley that one time. Dash, you're gonna get Jazz Fenton to supply us with some tech so we can work on fighting any ghosts that turn up and start trashing the place. That way, there'll be less property damage and stuff, so people will want to help Danny more. Got it?" Paulina folded her arms. Her three friends nodded quickly. She smiled.

"One question, Paulina." Dash raised his arm. Paulina fought the urge to roll her eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "Val's the Red Huntress, right? Why don't we ask her to help us with the ghost hunting, too? She's all buddy-buddy with Jazz now, so it might make it easier to get the guns and stuff." Dash looked around at his friends as they gaped at him. "What?"

"Dash, did you just say something _smart_?" Star asked, her tone making it obvious how impossible she thought that was. Dash frowned. "Hey, I'm not a total meathead, you know." He huffed, mostly to himself.

"Your grades would say otherwise, Mr. Baxter." All four teens jumped at the sound of their teacher's voice. Lancer stood by the door, a bland expression on his face. He held up a hand to silence their frantic excuses.

"Please. I may be old, but I'm not stupid. I heard everything you were discussing, and I cannot allow it."

"Mr. Lancer! Don't you care about Danny at all!" Paulina stood up, her eyes flashing. Lancer looked completely unimpressed.

"Miss Sanchez, I admire your dedication towards the safety of a fellow student and I will happily support your endeavours when it comes to protesting and gathering support from your schoolmates and the town. However, I will not condone four untrained children running off with dangerous, untested weaponry to pick fights with entities that could kill them!" His voice rose to a shout and Paulina winced.

"Fenton did it all the time though!" Dash protested. Lancer sighed.

" _Danny_ was also apparently capable of fighting them on their own terms, using powers of his own. I presume he also had several years of experience with ghost-fighting, considering his family. _You_ on the other hand, have zero experience with ghost-fighting, and you are defenceless against them." He replied, his arms folded in front of him.

"But… Val doesn't have ghost powers and _she_ fights them too." Kwan said. Paulina whipped her head around to glare at him.

"Kwan! You estupido boy! That is private!"

"I already knew about Miss Gray's activities. Her father just told me on the phone, because she didn't go home last night and he wanted to know if she'd been seen anywhere." Paulina's heart dropped. She looked to Star, who shook her head, eyes wide.

"I haven't seen Jazz either!" Dash said. Lancer ground his teeth.

"I'll call the Fentons, see if the girls are there. You are all to remain in school, if I catch wind of _any_ of you attempting to leave to fight ghosts or do something equally stupid, I will have your heads!" With that, Lancer left to return to the office. Paulina's shoulders slumped and she sat down heavily.

"What do we do now? With Val and Jazz gone, we can't fight ghosts anyway." Kwan groaned, sitting back in his seat.

"You idiot, that's not the important part! They're _missing_! They might be _dead_!" Star hissed.

"Enough, you guys! We continue with the rest of the plan for now. Dash, you'll just have to help Star and Kwan out until we find out what happened to Val and Jazz. Try and fish for any information you can on where they've gone, okay?" Paulina's eyes hardened. Whoever had taken the girls would be in for a world of hurt when she found them.

Nobody fucked with Paulina's crew. Nobody.

…

Sam strode away from the door, barely noticing Tucker's distress as he tried to keep up with her angry gait.

"What the hell? Where do they get off being all 'oh, Danny's so great and awesome, let's kiss his ass for him!' when they've spent the last two years making his life miserable!" She seethed. Tucker managed to dart ahead of her and stopped. She growled at him and tried to move around him, but Tucker stepped in her way.

"Sam, you need to get a grip! We fucked up and now Danny is gone, but when there are people actively trying to help him, we shouldn't be attacking them for it! Sure, Dash and everyone have been real assholes to Danny and to us in the past, but at least they want to help." For a moment, Sam looked like she was going to concede, then her eyes hardened again.

"They aren't necessary! We managed for two years to protect Danny, to help him with ghost hunting! We were all doing fine! They just want to ride his coattails!"

"No, Sam. _We_ managed for two years, but Danny didn't. His grades are the worst in our year, he's got more scars than bare flesh and not to mention his parents _blew a freaking hole in him_! Let's face it, we've been the shittiest friends ever to Danny and now that he's paid the price for it you think we should just carry on being selfish?" Tucker was angry, at himself and at Sam.

"It's not selfish to want snobby assholes to mind their own business!" She snapped back at him.

"It's selfish to keep thinking we're the best thing for Danny when it's our fault he got hurt!" Tucker yelled. Sam flinched back in surprise.

"You wanna know the truth, Sam? I was jealous of Danny. Really, really jealous. He could fly, do all that cool stuff, and he just kept getting even cooler powers! I wasn't even looking at how tired and in pain he was, I just saw him being loved by everyone and hated him for it. And now I get to wake up every day knowing that I'm a monster who let his best friend get shot by his own parents because I was too greedy to think." Tucker hissed, his eyes welling with tears. Sam blinked dumbly at him.

"And you? You're pissed because you think he doesn't love you the way you love him, when he adores you. He'd worship the ground you walk on, but the moment he mentions wanting to be a normal kid again you fly off the rails because you can't handle the thought of being with someone who isn't weird!" With that, Tucker turned and ran away, leaving Sam to stand alone. She slowly fell into a crouch and hid her face in her bag.

"That's not… I don't… Oh, _Danny_."

…

"So this thermos has an evil version of you and Vlad in it, and you shake it when you're mad?" Valerie asked, holding the thermos gently.

"Yeah! Sometimes I throw it too, because Clockwork made sure it was impenetrable to damage both inside and out. It's so cathartic." Danny took it from her and gave it a good shake. There was an angry hissing sound.

"Is that him?" Valerie said, feeling more than a little concerned as the hissing turned into words that were too filthy to dwell on.

"Yeah, that's Dan. Isn't that right, you dick?" Danny taunted, smacking the thermos against the floor. The hissing began anew and Valerie snorted.

"Pass it here, you dweeb, I'm the one who was gonna vent." Danny tossed it over with an easy smile and Valerie let it fall. She scooped it up and examined the dented metal. Sure enough, there was an eerie glow to it that didn't match the thermoses she'd seen before. Valerie tossed it up into the air and caught it with ease, then gave it a frantic shake. There was an angry yowl before a tinny voice growled out, " _Valerie…!_ " She dropped it in her surprise.

"Oh, whoops, I forgot to mention that in his timeline you were literally the only thing standing between him and complete world domination." Danny added, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Valerie gaped at him. Dani patted her shoulder.

"I did say you were a kick-ass mom, didn't I?" She took the thermos and threw it at the nearest wall.

"Danny, you have the weirdest life I have ever heard of, and I'm the chick that used to hunt you." Valerie sighed, falling back against the floor. Dani followed suit, curling against her side with a happy hum. Danny smiled as he watched them.

"It's not all bad. I've made friends and gained family I wouldn't have even dreamed of having," He kicked the side of Dani's foot, "And I got to know you." Danny blushed. Valerie sat up with a jolt, knocking Dani to the side in her haste.

"Oh my god. I never even apologised to you for trying to kill you! Oh, I'm such a jerk, I just slapped you!"

"Then made out with him in front of us all." Dani added helpfully, ending with a gagging noise.

"Uh… That was apology enough, Val. Don't freak out." Danny laughed.

"No, Danny, I mean it. I'm so sorry for everything I did to you. I was completely out of line and I shouldn't even have tried to kiss you after that, you deserve to be furious with-" Valerie's raving was cut off as Danny kissed her again. Dani squealed and covered her eyes.

"Val. It's okay. And… I'm sorry too. I should've tried harder to control Cujo when I first found him, instead of letting him run rampant through your dad's work. And your garden. Man, I goofed up." Valerie snorted and pressed her forehead against Danny's.

"We both goofed up." They smiled at each other and leant closer until Dani pushed between them.

"Please stop kissing in front of me! I'm your daughter, it's gross!" Valerie laughed while Danny shot a mock glare at her.

"If you don't like it, the door's over there." Dani stuck out her tongue and cuddled into Valerie.

"I should really get going, my dad is going to flip if I'm not home soon. Plus… I need to tell him about Dani. He'd like to meet her, I think." Dani bounced excitedly.

"I get a grandpa too?! Oh man, this is the best! I'm gonna go tell Clockwork you wanna head home!" She darted out of the room with a laugh. Valerie glanced at Danny out of the corner of her eye.

"I think we were about to conclude something, weren't we?" Danny flushed green at her suggestion and she giggled.

"I guess we have some time before Dani comes back looking for us?" He said, sliding one cool hand over Valerie's. She smiled.

"Let's get reacquainted. Hi, I'm Valerie, and you're cute." Danny flickered invisible and Valerie laughed at him. He glared at her, and pulled her up into the air.

"That deserves a little revenge." He murmured as he pulled her close. Valerie smiled. The old saying was more true than she'd expected.

Revenge _was_ sweet.

…

an: errybody is getting a redemption arc in this story. except dan. he gon die.

also shout out to kimera20 who has reviewed like every chapter and who I also caught reccing my fic on tumblr, you da real mvp. if you want, I can do a danny phantom oneshot for you, pairing/crossover/theme of your choice? except underage pairings, I don't roll with that shit


	7. Chapter 7

Dani found Jazz and Clockwork in the library after much searching. Clockwork seemed bemused by his companion's glee over the sheer amount of literature.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't even _know_ there were this many spectral psychology books! Danny never told me about this!" Jazz gushed, darting from shelf to shelf. Clockwork hovered near a row of tables in the centre of the library looking more than a little overwhelmed by Jazz's enthusiasm.

"Hey guys! I should've guessed you'd come here, huh?" Dani folded her arms and adopted a mock stern look. Jazz flushed with embarrassment, and Clockwork regained his dignity as he chuckled. "That would have been the sensible option, yes." Dani snickered. Something clicked in her head and she flew to Jazz with a grin.

"We haven't been properly introduced yet, have we? I'm Dani – with an 'i' – and I guess I'm your niece!" Jazz's face lit up and she pulled Dani into a hug. "This isn't how I expected to become an aunt, but how could I be upset about such a cute niece!" Dani giggled as Jazz planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'm Jazz, but I think you knew that already, right?" Dani nodded eagerly.

Clockwork cleared his throat and both girls turned to him. "You came here for a reason, Danielle?" Dani gasped at the prompt and nearly bounced out of Jazz's arms. "That's right! Mom said she needs to get back home to her dad!" Jazz winced at the reminder; although her own parents had been distant, they would still question her when she went home. Clockwork smiled kindly. "I froze time at the point when I brought them here, Danielle. When I return them it will…" Clockwork trailed off, a blank look crossing over his face. Dani and Jazz looked at each other uneasily. They turned back to Clockwork when he made an angry noise and swept out of the library in a hurry. Dani picked Jazz up with ease and flew after him. "What's wrong?" She asked, setting her aunt down gently.

"Time has been accelerated outside of my tower. Instead of returning Jasmine and Valerie at the exact time they left the human world, I will be returning them more than a day later. Someone is attempting to cause trouble, and I think I know exactly who is trying to sabotage us." He said in a dangerously low tone. The sound of low chatter cut Clockwork off and the trio turned to see Danny and Valerie exit the thermos vault. Their hands were entwined and Danny was walking on air with a dopey smile. Valerie was the one speaking, and she tucked her messy hair behind one ear with a blush. Danny opened his mouth to reply, but faltered as he saw the expression on Clockwork's face.

"What's wrong? Has there been an incident?" He asked, pulling Valerie over to the group. Both teens were immediately on alert and Valerie fingered the holster at her hip instinctively. Dani moved to hover next to her and Jazz went to stand by Danny. Clockwork sighed and gestured to a nearby screen. "As I was telling Jasmine and Danielle, someone has sabotaged the time stream, meaning that instead of time remaining paused it has actually accelerated. More than a day has passed now, and I am unable to correct the matter." Valerie blanched. Missing for more than a day? Her father would kill her!

Danny frowned. "You can't just send them back in time those few hours?" His frown deepened as Clockwork shook his head. "Normally, such a small amount of time for such a small matter would be of no concern for the timeline. This time however, important events have been put into motion that would be jeopardised if I attempted to correct the mistake." Danny slumped, well aware of the repercussions of disrupting the timeline in such a way. The other matter of concern came forward in his mind and his head shot up.

"Someone deliberately caused this? You don't think… The Observants?" Clockwork's face was grim as he nodded. Dani gasped in shock, but Valerie and Jazz remained confused. "The Observants?" Jazz asked. Danny turned to her looking just as angry as Clockwork. "They're a bunch of jerkass eyeballs who think they can boss everyone around. They're the ones that wanted Clockwork to kill me for the Nasty Burger thing." While Jazz's eyes lit up with understanding, Valerie immediately drew a weapon on Clockwork.

"You tried to _kill_ Danny?" She growled. Danny grabbed the gun and carefully twisted it from her grasp. "Val, while I appreciate the concern, clearly he didn't actually try to kill me. In fact, if he hadn't intervened, I would've turned evil." She blinked and flushed with embarrassment. Clockwork merely smiled as he watched them. Now he was aware of the disruption, he could see how it would shape their future, both as individuals and together. He clapped his hands together to draw their attention and spoke.

"To reduce the trouble I'm afraid the pair of you will face, I suggest that Jasmine and Valerie return to the human world. I will ensure that future visits will not be tainted by the same problem." They all nodded, and Jazz hugged both Phantoms fiercely. Valerie pulled Danny into a kiss, then pressed a softer one to Dani's forehead. "I'll call you both, assuming you have a phone?" She smiled at Danny's lovestruck expression. Dani nodded and pulled out her phone to give Valerie her number. Clockwork allowed the group one more brief hug together before he ushered Valerie and Jazz through a portal.

Once they were safely returned, Clockwork turned and shared a look with Danny. "This was merely a warning, Danny. They wanted us to know they are willing to jeopardise your destiny if it means they remain as they are." Danny cocked his head, confused. "You keep mentioning my 'destiny', but you've never actually said what it was." He said. Dani adopted a similarly curious expression and hovered next to her father. Clockwork winced mentally.

"That is because the second I tell you it will be broken. You are not yet ready to know the full truth of it, but rest assured I will endeavour to keep you all from harm as you travel towards it. Each event that happens, Valerie and Jazz joining forces, their arrival here; even the attack upon you were part of this future. You are the keystone to a gigantic shift in the dynamics of this world, of both worlds." Clockwork let that idea sink in, and he laughed as Danny groaned and fell away to hover on his back.

"For once, I'd like to just be unimportant, y'know?" He grumbled. Dani gave a sympathetic smile. "I don't think you could ever be unimportant, Dad. You're too good to not be." Danny smiled back weakly. Clockwork floated closer to them. "She's right, Danny. You could never be unimportant, because you are already so important to so many people. Never forget that." He said. There was a peaceful moment between the three until Danny flipped upright again. He grinned devilishly at his two companions. "I think we need to remind the Observants that they shouldn't mess with us. Agreed?" His smile was reflected on both faces and they settled down to plot.

…

Valerie dithered by the entrance to her apartment building. She'd insisted that Jazz go home, that she could manage talking about everything with her father alone, but now she missed the comforting presence of her friend. The tight knot of anxiety over Danny, and Dani, and _her being half ghost_ all seemed to rush up from her stomach into her throat. How was she even meant to broach the subject of being a sudden mother? And with her former nemesis to boot! Who was now her boyfriend again… She didn't even want to think about her Daddy's reaction to that, let alone the rest of it. And yet… She wanted him to know. She wanted to share this whole new family with him. For so long, it had been just the two of them. No mother, no wife, no grandparents or aunts, uncles or cousins. Just them. But now she could share a _daughter_ with him. Give him a grandchild to cherish as he'd cherished her all her life. And maybe even a son-in-law? Valerie flushed hard at the thought. That was perhaps getting ahead of herself. At the very least, Danny would be part of the family somehow. Jazz and that Clockwork too, from the adoring way she'd seen Danny and Dani looking at him. Valerie sucked in a deep breath and reached out to open the door.

"Valerie? Is that- Oh my god, you're _alive_!" She turned only to find herself wrapped up in familiar arms as her father sobbed into her shoulder. She sank her fingers into his shirt and felt the knot in her throat tighten. With a muffled noise, Valerie began to cry as well. She'd only been gone a short while, but she'd _missed_ her Daddy so much. Time seemed to slow as they held onto each other, their grief melting into joy at being reunited. Finally, Damon pulled away and wiped his eyes with a smile.

"I never thought I'd see you again! I thought you'd gotten yourself killed, or a ghost had kidnapped you!" His face darkened and Valerie felt the pinprick of fear that always came when she knew she was getting a well-deserved scolding. "Where on God's green earth have you been, Valerie Gray!" There it was. This was going to kill her all the way. Valerie snorted at her joke, then hunched over clutching her gut as she began to howl with laughter. Damon stared at her as though she'd grown a second head. Valerie struggled to gain composure, and finally managed to speak through her giggles.

"Daddy… I-I have a lot of things I need to tell you."

…

Now she was in the apartment and about to spill all her secrets into the open for her father to see, Valerie found she wasn't so ready to laugh any more. She twisted her fingers in the cheap throw they'd covered the couch with to hide the stains well, and tried to steady her breathing. Damon sat down on a nearby chair, clearly wary of setting her off again. Valerie offered him a shaky smile. He didn't return it.

"What do you need to tell me, Valerie?" His voice was low, quiet, but it held no malice. Valerie realised he was scared for her. Guilt twisted in her chest at the thought of how he must have worried for her. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Valerie fought the urge to throw something in her frustration. She'd flown into space, she'd battled ghosts capable of crushing buildings and she'd walked right up to Danny Phantom and kissed him senseless. Yet she couldn't even talk to her father? A gentle hand rested on her knee and Valerie started. She looked up to see her father's face, full of love and understanding. "Valerie, it's okay. You can tell me anything. You know that." And she did know. God, did she know. But that didn't make it any less scary.

"Daddy, I need you to promise that you'll let me say everything before you speak, okay?" Damon frowned, but nodded. Valerie sighed, and began to speak.

"You know how it turned out Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom? Well, I ended up working with his sister on getting the ghosts back into the Ghost Zone, and it turns out I was being a huge idiot about them, because some of them are actually pretty nice!" Valerie gave a shaky laugh and fixed her eyes on the coffee table. Damon's hand squeezed her knee, but he kept silent.

"Anyway, Jazz's parents found out what we were doing, and they were gonna shut the portal down so we couldn't use it any more. Which is actually a really bad thing to do! Jazz explained there are a bunch of ghosts that can make portals themselves, and that sometimes portals just open up. So ghosts would still come here, but we'd have no way of sending them back." She risked a glance at her father and saw the worry on his face. She winced. This next part was going to be tough.

"Jazz said that… there was another person like Danny. A half ghost. And that they had a portal too. But she said he was a bad person and might not let us, and I knew because I'd maybe… kinda… fought him before?" Damon inhaled sharply, but held his tongue. Valerie silently blessed him for it. "So um, we went to this person's house to ask him to help us, because we knew there was a friendly ghost in the Zone that could make portals and we wanted to find him. And also because we thought Danny might still be alive in there. And he said no. And attacked us." Damon's eyes widened. There had been an attack at the mayor's house around the time that Valerie and Jazz had gone missing. The pieces began to slide into place. Valerie hurried on.

"We were actually getting the upper hand when this ghost showed up! And it turned out he was the ghost that saved Danny, and the Danny was alive. He took us to see him, and Daddy…" Valerie pushed a fist against her mouth, the memory of seeing Danny alive and well and the feeling of utter relief that had flooded her when she'd felt the flesh of his cheek beneath her fingers, the beat of his heart even as he hovered before her as a ghost rose up and filled her eyes with tears. Damon moved to sit beside her and pulled Valerie into his arms as she cried.

When she had calmed down, Valerie pulled away and took a deep breath. "He _was_ alive, and he was okay. But he wasn't alone. There was a girl ghost, called Danielle with him. And it turns out she is actually our daughter!" Valerie laughed nervously. Damon's face went blank then began to slowly turn red. Valerie flapped her hands in a panic.

"We didn't have sex, Daddy! It… It's a long story… See, the bad half ghost really wants Danny to be his son, but Danny hates him. So the bad halfa – half ghost, Daddy – tried to clone him. And with one of the clones, he used my DNA to try and stabilise it, but ended up creating a little girl instead. Which makes Danny her father and me her mother." Damon's eyes softened at that. "Poor girl…" He mumbled, and Valerie was too relieved by his response to chide him for breaking his promise.

"Yeah. And uh, I'm kind of dating Danny again? Still no sex though!" She squeaked at the black look he shot her. Valerie sagged in her seat as he looked away. She didn't really want to tell him the rest. It was bad enough that she'd thrown a surprise granddaughter at him, but to find out his own child was technically half dead? He would probably have that heart attack the doctor had warned him about.

"Valerie, I know you said not to interrupt, but I can tell there's something else bugging you." Damon held her hand and watched her with concern as she fought her mental battle. He was scared to find out what it was, but this was the most he'd found out about Valerie in a long time. Valerie closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"Daddy… You remember when I was dating Danny two years ago? Well, it was orchestrated by a ghost that could control technology, because he wanted us to stop hunting ghosts and be focused on each other. The problem was, he took over my old suit to attack us when things started going wrong. Danny blew it up as Phantom and… the ghost melded it to me with electricity. Clockwork – the ghost that saved Danny – said that the combination of Danny's ectoplasm and the other ghost's electricity changed me." Damon's heart froze as Valerie stood up and looked down at him mournfully.

"Daddy, I'm like Danny now. I'm half ghost."

…

Jazz slipped through the front door, hoping that she would avoid her parents but at the same time knowing that a confrontation was inevitable. True to expectations, the second she let the door click shut two sets of footsteps came thundering up from the lab.

"Jasmine Ann Fenton! Where have you _been_ these last two days!" Jazz rolled her eyes at her mother's tone. She moved past them to the stairs in silence and kept her face carefully blank even when Maddie stepped in front of her. Fury and worry flashed in her eyes and for a moment Jazz almost felt relief that her parents still loved her, still cared about her. Then she remembered that her brother was living in the Ghost Zone after being grievously injured and she hardened herself. With her chin in the air, Jazz raised a brow at her mother but did not move or speak. She knew enough about psychology now to win this.

Maddie's lips lifted in a silent growl and when she spoke her voice was dangerous. "I asked you a question, Jasmine. You have been missing for nearly _two days_. Did you even stop to think about how worried we were? That we had no idea where you were?" Jazz couldn't hold back a laugh then. She looked between Maddie and an uncharacteristically silent Jack. "You were worried about me? Really? I expected you to both be holed up down in the lab, trying to figure out how to fix someone that isn't broken. Well, Danny wasn't broken until you shot him, was he?" Jack flinched, but Maddie remained resolute. "Your brother is possessed at best, Jasmine. But that doesn't answer my question. Where. Were. You."

Jazz fixed the brightest smile she could muster onto her lips. It was cruel, she knew that, but she wanted her next words to cut so deep into her parents that the scars never faded. She wanted them to feel the same grief she'd seen lurking in Danny's eyes, his posture. They'd broken him in more ways than just the physical, and Jazz was going to make sure they knew it.

"Well, I was in the Ghost Zone visiting someone, of course! Val and me, we were invited to a very _exclusive_ location with a very _special_ guest living there. It turns out that being half ghost actually saved Danny's life!" Jazz relished the twin gasps from her parents in a way that she knew she shouldn't have, "And I got to see him, and talk to him, and hold him again." She smiled fondly, remembering how good it had felt to actually be able to confirm Danny's survival. She looked to her parents. Maddie had her hands clamped over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Jack had a painfully hopeful expression on his face and for the first time since walking through the door Jazz felt a flicker of guilt for what she was about to do.

"But you'll never be able to hold him again. You'll never get to see him, or talk to him. You won't see him grow up into a man, and you won't get to meet his children. He will live on as a half ghost, and you will have to live knowing that you ruined the only chance you had at keeping his love, of earning his forgiveness when you tried to kill him." Jazz hissed. Jack and Maddie recoiled and Jazz felt no joy as she watched them crumple. There was only an empty hollow in her heart. Just as they'd lost Danny, they would lose her too. She climbed the stairs and went into her room to pack, ignoring the sound of sobbing from downstairs.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe one day they would earn the right to stand before their children and be forgiven. But for now, she had a date with a couch anywhere but there.

…

A shiver ran down Clockwork's spine and he frowned. Something was going to happen soon, he could feel it in his core. A defining event that could affect the entire future if it went wrong. He checked Danny's futures almost without even knowing he was doing it, but they were vague and fractured. Clockwork swore quietly. Whatever the Observants had done to break his time stop had caused Danny's future to become impossible to read. He could no longer pick the easiest path for Danny, and it was infuriating.

"I am going to jab every last one of their eyes." He murmured, wiping a hand across the screen to clear the distorted images. One lingered despite his intentions and he glanced at it curiously. It showed Danny and Valerie stargazing. The view pulled back to reveal a horde of other ghosts Danny knew, celebrating some event. Danny was the centre of it all, and Clockwork smiled as he realised what was going on. A fused birthday/deathday celebration for the halfa spent in the human world. Clockwork decided to ensure that the vision would come true. A happy moment to shine among the darkness he had endured, just like the stars he loved so much burning brightly in the dark night sky. The perfect gift for his son.

The Ancient that had hovered behind Clockwork vanished as undetectably as it had arrived. The planted image had been seen, and the future was set. Clockwork would engineer Danny's return to the human world, where he would be vulnerable. Hunters would find him there, and it would be easy to take the halfa out. All it had to do now was relay the news to its masters, the Observants, and wait for their plans to be carried out.

Soon, the Phantom would be dead for good, and the Observants would reign on. All was as it should be, for now and eternity.


	8. Chapter 8

Things had been a little awkward in the Gray household in the days following Valerie's revelation. Damon had done his best to show his love and support for his daughter, but there was a strain that hadn't been there before and it was felt keenly by both of them. Valerie spent more time out patrolling, night and day, while Damon worked longer hours than usual. Jazz had offered the usual overbearing yet useful advice when Valerie asked her for help, while Danny and Dani had offered a more physical support in the form of copious hugs on demand. But visiting them only accentuated just how much Valerie wanted to share her weird little family with her father. And she knew her gloomy mood over it was affecting both Phantoms negatively. They felt responsible for causing the rift between Valerie and Damon, and no amount of convincing could sway them from staring at her with sorrowful eyes when they thought she wasn't looking.

That was why she was stood in her local grocers, casting an appraising eye over the aubergines on offer. She had a plan to smooth over this little tension, and it required the sneakiest, most powerful trick in her repertoire. Sure, the second her father saw it he would know exactly what she was trying to do, but neither Danny nor Dani would know what hit them. Valerie smirked to herself and picked up a suitable aubergine, then moved to look at the courgettes. When they tasted her Mama's aubergine parmigiana – the recipe had been passed down for years after one of their ancestors had helped out some Italian mafia goon, or so Valerie had been told – they would be so amazed they'd forget all about whatever stupid reasons they had for moping over her.

Valerie's thoughts drifted as she wandered out of the grocers with a wave and a smile. Mama would have loved to meet Dani. She'd always joked about wanting grandchildren eventually, and every time Valerie had had one of her childhood crushes Mama had teased her mercilessly about whether or not they would have kids one day. It had been a silly little joke they'd shared, one that she'd always complained about at the time. Looking back now, after everything that had happened… Valerie felt it was more bittersweet. She'd never get to see Valerie grow older, get married, have children that hadn't been grown in a vat…

"Not that _my_ vat baby in unwanted. Vat child. Vat teenager? Hoo boy." Valerie rubbed a free hand across her face, feeling tired. She knew that she'd have to address her own issues with everything that had happened eventually. There just hadn't been time to sit down and work through everything. When Danny had been outed as Phantom and subsequently gone missing for several weeks, she'd been able to write down her feelings and talk them out alone. Meditation had helped as well, when talking aloud wasn't an option. But with the shock of finding out about Danny, and Dani, and _herself_ , then having to explain it all to her father, she just hadn't had a chance to even think about what was going on.

Valerie checked her list and nodded in satisfaction when she saw everything was ticked off. Damon would be at work until six, which left an hour to prepare him for the surprise dinner with the Phantoms and Jazz. That left her with four hours free to get herself and the food ready. More than enough time to work through her own issues so she could focus on everyone else's during dinner. Valerie smiled grimly. Maybe she'd finally be able to think up a solution to the problem of Sam's little eavesdropping session the day before.

…

Something was definitely going on, and Sam wanted to know what it was. It was less than a week since Valerie and Jazz had gone missing for a day, and ever since they'd gotten back they were acting weird. Jazz was perkier than ever before, even managing to drag a faint smile for Sam and Tucker. It hadn't met her eyes, but it was an improvement over the uncharacteristic anger that had radiated from her in the days following Danny's disappearance. Valerie on the other hand seemed to veer between a shell-shocked expression and practically floating on air with a dreamy look in her eyes. It made Sam want to scream. Worst of all was when she met eyes with the huntress, and Valerie almost looked as though she pitied Sam. Tucker had remained silent on the matter, choosing to focus all of his attention on his schoolwork. Sam hadn't even heard him mention technology once since their spat in the hallway. She'd wondered more than once if Tucker thought that keeping his head down would bring Danny back. She didn't think anything would bring him back now.

Sam trudged down the hall towards the library. Eating lunch wasn't enjoyable anymore, not that it had been particularly fun before. Down a friend and the other one in an odd mood was bad enough, but people kept throwing food at her during lunch. She'd drawn the line when someone had thrown a piece of meat at her that had landed in her veggie soup. Now she spent her time huddled away in the relative peace of the school library while Tucker sat next to her and worked on an endless number of assignments.

Voices from the nearby bathroom drew Sam up short. She knew those voices. But why Valerie and Jazz were holding a quiet conversation in the bathroom of all places was beyond her. She crept closer to the door, aware of the clunking weight of her combat boots and listened closely.

"-think that they'll be able to make it? I mean, it's not like they can go through your house, can they? I wouldn't even think of asking him to go near that hell hole. No offence." Valerie sounded flustered and Sam could hear her pacing behind the door. Jazz laughed quietly. "None taken, Val. And I feel the same way. I don't trust them anymore. They might feel bad now, but I don't want to risk him getting hurt." Her voice held a note of grief in it. Something hopeful rose in Sam's chest. Were they talking about Danny?

"You think Clockwork will bring him? Or will he hitch a ride with Wulf?" Valerie paused, then laughed. "Oh, maybe he'll come through _Vlad_ 's portal!" Both girls laughed then, and Sam frowned. Valerie sounded too used to the idea of Vlad having a ghost portal. It was a given that Jazz would have let Valerie in on some if not all of their knowledge about Danny's enemies, but for her to be so relaxed about it was alarming. There was a pause, and Sam heard footsteps once more. Jazz spoke, her voice reassuring. "It'll be okay, Valerie. I'll be there to back you up if you need me, but I'm sure your dad will be more than pleased to finally meet his granddaughter." Sam froze in shock. _That_ was unexpected. Valerie had a kid? Her churning thoughts ground to a halt with Valerie's next words.

"At least it's easier to explain a fifteen-year-old half ghost daughter than to tell him I'd done something stupid and gotten pregnant. Don't give me that look, Jazz, me and Danny aren't anywhere close to _that_ , God! We've only kissed a bit!" Sam felt like her throat had closed up even though she knew she should be elated by Danny's apparent survival. Valerie was in a relationship with Danny? After she'd tried to kill him? Sam staggered back with her hand over her mouth, barely aware of the way her boots scuffed the floor and the conversation behind the door silenced. She turned and ran blindly, desperate to find somewhere unoccupied to have a possibly minor but most probably _major_ breakdown.

As she turned the corner to dash towards the nearest janitor's closet, Valerie watched her go, eyes narrowed.

…

Walker drummed his fingers on his desk. The action seemed idle, but there was a tenseness to the air that was nearly tangible. He wasn't stupid, as much as _some_ ghosts liked to imply he was. He knew that Phantom was under Clockwork's protection, and that there would undoubtedly be repercussions against those that harmed him. What he didn't know, and what was causing him more stress than trying to maintain order in the lawless hellhole that was the Ghost Zone, was whether or not Clockwork was planning on wreaking vengeance on those that had harmed Phantom in the past. Walker was certainly one of those ghosts, no matter how justified he'd been in striking the boy down. Not even the fact that most of Phantom's other enemies had gone unharmed was a relief; they had always held some respect for Phantom and Walker knew they'd been quick to ally in times of need in the past, an act he'd never deigned to stoop to.

So it was somewhat of an expected surprise when Clockwork appeared in the middle of his office. Walker suppressed a high shriek of terror and offered the powerful ghost a weak smile. "Well, ain't this a pleasant surprise? What can I do for you, Mr Clockwork?" Clockwork's face was impassive, and Walker swallowed hard. He shuffled some papers on his desk nervously, trying to keep his eyes away from Clockwork's motionless form. The time ghost seemed to soften slightly at the sight of his fear, and laced his fingers together slowly.

"Walker. I am not here to exact any kind of revenge on you for your… dealings with Danny in the past," Walker flinched at the tone of Clockwork's voice when he spoke about Danny, "But I am here to discuss future behaviours." Clockwork smiled, and Walker could see it was meant to be friendly, but there was a core of steel hiding behind the gentle front. This was not a conversation to take lightly.

He sat up straighter and gestured silently towards the seat before him, feeling some relief when Clockwork nodded and moved to sit. This was a little more manageable. He would survive this. "I can assure you that I have no intention of causing any harm to your charge. I expect that under your care he will be more than capable of abiding by the necessary rules." Clockwork let out a small huff of laughter and Walker nearly fainted with the shock of it. "I'm afraid I can make no guarantees about Danny _behaving_ himself, but I think it would be in your best interests to forge a better relationship with him, Walker. And please, don't take that as a threat. As I said before, I have no intention of harming you. I am only here to give you a hint of the future." Walker sat forward, his fear forgotten in the urge to hear more. Clockwork smiled slyly.

"I'm sure you're aware from your past encounters with Danny that he is exceedingly powerful by the standards of ghosts, let alone what we know of halfas. But I can assure you that in the coming years he will become a force to be reckoned with." Walker shivered. He could well believe that Danny would become nigh-invincible. The boy was a terrifying force to be sure. "There are many paths he can go down, however. I would like to ensure he remains on a… favourable path, for himself and the rest of the Ghost Zone. Of course I will work to keep his morals on the right side, but support and education from other ghosts would definitely help." Clockwork leant forward, his smile widening. "And I can assure you that the future benefits of being on Danny's good side will be _immeasurable_."

Walker sat back in his chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He didn't like the halfa, as much as he respected the power that the boy held. But to know that he would be a powerful enough force in the Ghost Zone to warrant the need for Walker to make good relations with him was enough to make him feel more than a little worried. There was no way he'd be able to sustain any kind of battle against Danny, not with the Master of All Time on his side. Walker snuck a glance at Clockwork and saw the time ghost still smiling widely. No, there was no way he'd even land a hit on the kid. And it was a safe bet that manipulation was right out the window too.

"And how exactly am I meant to _get_ on his good side?" Walker drawled, resting his chin on one hand. This seemed to be exactly what Clockwork was after, because his eyes lit up. He chuckled, and Walker realised that he'd walked right into whatever Clockwork had planned. The time ghost leant forward conspiratorially and Walker found himself mirroring the action. "Danny's birthday and deathday fall on the exact same date, which just so happens to be a week from now. Coincidentally, there also happens to be a meteor shower in the human world. I'm sure that during your efforts to learn more about Danny when you were trying to capture him, you discovered his love for the stars? And as the warden of the Ghost Zone, you are well within your rights to permit any excursions from it…" Walker smiled grimly. So that was it. Clockwork wanted the kid to go see some shooting stars. But the other ghost was right. He did have the authority to allow exclusions from the rules despite never having done so before. And if it meant he would have good favour with someone who would be a strong contender for power in the future, he was willing to be a little more flexible in regards to a certain halfa.

"You drive a hard bargain, Clockwork. But I'm sure something could be… arranged." The ghosts shook hands and Clockwork vanished as suddenly as he'd appeared. Walker sat for a moment, letting himself plan before summoning a guard to his office. "Go find me Wulf! I need him for something. Tell him I'll clear his sentence if he comes willingly!" The guard gaped in shock, but saluted and left to fulfil his orders. Walker smirked. He was going to make sure that Phantom saw him as an ally, so that he kept his power. Even if it meant sucking up to the bratty halfa.

…

Clockwork was humming as he returned to the tower. Danny eyed him with suspicion where he hovered lazily next to the viewing screens. "You're alarmingly pleased with yourself," Danny commented, "Who did you intimidate?" Clockwork laughed aloud and shook his head. "No intimidation necessary, Danny. It was merely a polite chat." Danny raised his brows. Sometimes he wondered if Clockwork knew that his mere presence was intimidating to most ghosts.

"But that is beside the point, Danny. I believe you had somewhere to be ten minutes ago?" Clockwork said, smirking as Danny fell with a muffled swear. The teen grabbed at one of the viewing screens in a panic, then relaxed slowly as he saw that it wasn't time to go to Valerie's. He shot a nasty glare at Clockwork who merely laughed at him. "That was mean, Dad." Still chuckling, Clockwork patted Danny on the shoulder and pushed him towards the living quarters. "But now you have time to go and get ready!" Danny stuck his tongue out as he left, and Clockwork turned to his screens with a warm smile. His good mood faded as a prickle of unease rose up within him. It was the same feeling he'd had just before the vision of Danny in the human world.

Clockwork tried to pull up the image on the screen, but every time it began to show, it fractured into a mess of unrelated scenes that ran in a disjointed mess. His unease grew. Whatever the Observants had done to the time stream should not have affected it for so long. Something was going on, and for the first time in years Clockwork felt completely helpless to stop it. He silently vowed to ensure that Danny and Dani would be safe from whatever came. The sounds of the two teens returning to the main hall made Clockwork start and he wiped away the images on the screen quickly. Dani darted through the door with a laugh, none the wiser to Clockwork's concern, but Danny immediately sobered upon seeing the time ghost's face.

Clockwork shook his head lightly – this wasn't something he was willing to burden Danny with. Not yet, at least. "Ready to go?" He asked, opening a portal to the place Danny had agreed to meet Jazz at. Dani shot through eagerly, only popping her head back to say goodbye. Danny hung back briefly. "I know you're not gonna tell me what's going on, but… You'd warn me if it was important, right?" Clockwork sighed. "I don't know what it is yet. But yes, should I feel concerned I will inform you." Satisfied, Danny left with a smile and a wave. Clockwork closed the portal with a guilty feeling. No need to let Danny know he was already worried, right?

…

Danny was struggling with his own fears. Not only was Clockwork acting suspicious, but he had to go and meet his girlfriend's father and introduce their daughter at the same time. He tugged at his clothes once more and Jazz huffed at him. "Danny, you may be invisible right now but I know you're still fussing. Quit it! Everything will be fine." Danny rolled his eyes as Dani giggled.

"Sure Jazz, and when Val's Dad finishes me off with one of her ghost weapons I'll make sure I come back to give you a thumbs up on being right!" Jazz swiped her arm in the general area of Danny's head and was rewarded with a yelp of surprise as her hand passed through him. "Don't be such a baby. I'm here to help out as a mediator, remember? Damon won't hurt you because of Dani, or Val being… y'know." The unspoken rule about not mentioning Valerie's half-ghost status remained. Danny scoffed under his breath. "That's not what I'm worried about, Jazz. I'm worried about getting the shovel talk, with a shovel that's been modified to hit ghosts."

Jazz's reply was cut off by Dani. "What's the shovel talk? Is it about gardening? But then why would you need to hit ghosts? I thought Undergrowth was sulking in his gardens." Her babbling continued as they got closer to Valerie's apartment complex and Jazz grinned as she realised that Dani was distracting her father quite successfully. She pulled out her phone and sent Valerie a quick text. Within minutes, Valerie was waiting by the door, looking quite upset at seeing Jazz on her own. Jazz felt Danny's cold presence move away and Valerie jumped with a short yelp just moments later before swinging her fist in front of her.

"Would everyone stop doing that?" Danny's disembodied voice said, sounding distinctly annoyed. Valerie rolled her eyes. "Maybe don't sneak up and grab me then?" She said with her hands on her hips. The only reply was a snort and a muttered " _I_ thought it was funny and cute…" They entered the apartment building in relative silence, as Danny and Dani were still invisible. As they reached Valerie's floor, she scouted the hall for any other people before gesturing the group forward. There was a set of twin thumps as both Phantoms landed and flickered back into visibility. Dani immediately leapt forward to wrap Valerie into a hug, while Danny hovered back with a blush. Jazz shoved him forwards into a group hug with the pair and blissfully ignored his dirty look in favour of ruffling his hair.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. Shall we?" She gestured to the door and Dani bounded forward in excitement. Valerie and Danny hung back, looking at each other nervously. Jazz resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose and grabbed them by the wrists. "Move it. Now!" The door opened before anybody could react and Danny reflexively turned invisible with a squeak of surprise. Damon chuckled and stood to one side, waving the group in. "Come on in, kids. I know the basics, no need to be alarmed." Danny reappeared and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Valerie tugged him forward, Dani clinging to his other side in a sudden fit of shyness. Jazz came last, sharing a knowing look with Damon.

"So… Food then dramatic talking?" Valerie asked. Danny sniffed the air and sighed in appreciation. "If I don't get to eat whatever that is, I'm going to cry." The tenseness hanging over Danny, Dani and Valerie seemed to melt away with that and the group headed to the table, laughing among themselves.

It quickly became clear that Jazz, Danny and Dani were not used to proper home cooking, because as soon as Valerie plated up the food they began to inhale it. Valerie and Damon shared an amused glance and tucked into their own food. Danny was the first to slow down, and he gave a contented sigh. "Val, I need to marry that recipe. That's the best thing I've ever eaten in my life." Valerie snorted, trying to hide her blush. "Don't exaggerate, Danny." Danny shook his head, wide-eyed.

"I'm being totally serious! Home-cooked meals as a kid were practically life-threatening! Haven't I told you about the times our Christmas turkey came back to life?" Damon choked on his drink as Jazz muttered under her breath some choice complaints before speaking up. "Danny's right. When we were kids there were several years where we had to hide in our rooms on Christmas Day because our parents had contaminated the food with ectoplasm and resurrected it. The local Chinese restaurant knew us by name." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Ahh, memories. I remember when they took us to their place for Christmas dinner one year. Best Christmas ever." Danny said, his eyes glazed over as he reminisced. Damon began to laugh and soon everyone had joined in. Valerie smiled as she saw Danny relaxing a little more. Jazz and Danny shared more stories about their childhood, occasionally interrupted by Damon or Valerie asking questions.

When the meal was finished, Jazz sprang up to do the dishes, waving Valerie and Danny away when they offered to help. Her intent was clear; she expected them to talk to Damon. The couple glanced at each other nervously before Valerie grabbed Danny's hand and dragged him to the living room. Dani was already chattering nonstop to Damon, who seemed more than interested to listen. He looked up and sent a knowing smile to Valerie and Danny when he saw their entwined hands.

"Hey Mom! Hey Dad!" Dani chirped, "I was just telling Grampa about Clockwork's tower! You think we can take him to visit some time?" Dani looked at Danny with pleading eyes. He bit his lip. "We can ask Clockwork, but it's his lair, not ours." Dani slumped a little, but perked up as Damon ruffled her hair.

"It's alright sweetie, I think you described it well enough even if I can't see it." He said and Dani beamed at him. Danny squeezed Valerie's hand and she looked at him to see him smiling gently. Damon cleared his throat and they looked back at him with flushed cheeks. Dani giggled but didn't speak.

"Valerie told me a bit about what happened between the pair of you, but she never really told me what happened to you. Do you mind if I ask…?" Damon trailed off, unsure how exactly to phrase his question. Danny chuckled weakly. "You mean how I became half ghost?" Damon nodded and Danny went quiet. Valerie could see him thinking about it and she squeezed his hand for moral support.

"It all started when the Ghost Portal was built in my freshman year…"

…

Jazz leant against the doorframe, watching the scene with a soft smile. She'd known that everything would turn out alright in the end. Damon was a good man; she could see that just by looking at the way Valerie acted. He'd brought up his daughter well and Jazz knew he would accept her brother and niece. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Danny so relaxed around an adult before, and a pang of sorrow shot through her as she remembered that this was something her parents were unlikely to ever take part in. There was too much bad blood now for any of them to be completely secure around each other. But as that door closed, this one had opened, Jazz reminded herself. She was part of this family, as weird as it was, and she was determined to make sure that it remained a happy one. Damon roared with laughter at one of Danny's stories and Jazz grinned. It was going to be the easiest job ever.

...

an: christ, writing this chapter was like pulling teeth. it did NOT want to come out. hopefully the next one will be a bit easier!


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